Who Is Phillip Schofield?
Phillip Schofield is an English television presenter whose four-decade career made him one of the most familiar faces in British broadcasting. Born Phillip Bryan Schofield on 1 April 1962, the 64-year-old fronted ITV’s This Morning for over twenty years, hosted Dancing on Ice, The Cube and All Star Mr & Mrs, and began his career as the nation’s favourite children’s TV presenter in the BBC’s famous Broom Cupboard. At his peak he was among the highest-paid stars on British television.
Then, in May 2023, it all came crashing down. Schofield admitted to an affair with a younger male colleague and to lying about it, resigning from ITV with immediate effect and vanishing from the schedules he had dominated for decades. Since then, one question has followed him everywhere: where is Phillip Schofield now? Here is the complete story — his age, wife, family, spectacular career, dramatic fall and quiet life today.
Early Life: From Oldham to the BBC
He was born on 1 April 1962 in Oldham, Lancashire, but moved with his family to Newquay in Cornwall when he was just eighteen months old, and it is Cornwall he considers home. Television obsessed him from childhood: at fifteen he was already presenting a Sunday show on Hospital Radio Plymouth, and he bombarded the BBC with letters until, at seventeen, he was taken on as a bookings clerk at Broadcasting House in London — the youngest employee there at the time. It was an extraordinary foot in the door for a teenager from Cornwall.
At nineteen he moved with his family to New Zealand, where his broadcasting career properly began. He made his television debut in 1982 as the first presenter of the youth music programme Shazam! and spent two years working for Auckland’s Radio Hauraki, learning the craft of live presenting far from home. Those formative years down under gave him a relaxed, unflappable on-air manner that would become his trademark — and when he returned to Britain in 1985, children’s television was about to get its biggest star.
The Broom Cupboard and Going Live! Years
In September 1985, Schofield became the first in-vision continuity presenter for Children’s BBC, broadcasting from a tiny studio nicknamed the Broom Cupboard alongside a puppet sidekick, Gordon the Gopher. It sounds modest, but for a generation of British children he was simply the face of television — warm, funny and utterly natural in front of the camera. He held the slot for two years, and the Broom Cupboard era remains one of the most fondly remembered chapters in children’s TV history.
From 1987 to 1993 he graduated to Saturday mornings as the host of Going Live!, the flagship BBC children’s magazine show, cementing his status as a household name. He also fronted the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party from 1988 to 1991, putting him at the centre of British pop culture. By the early nineties he was ready for grown-up television, and a string of ITV shows — Schofield’s Quest, Talking Telephone Numbers, Ten Ball — completed his transformation from children’s favourite to all-round entertainer.
This Morning and Primetime Dominance
In 2002, Schofield joined ITV’s daytime flagship This Morning, initially covering Fridays before becoming the show’s main anchor. When Holly Willoughby joined him as co-host in 2009, the pair’s chemistry turned the programme into a ratings juggernaut — their double act, equal parts professionalism and mischief, defined British daytime television for fourteen years, and Schofield once described Willoughby as “the sister he never had”.
Daytime was only half the story. Schofield simultaneously conquered primetime: Dancing on Ice (2006–2014 and 2018–2023), the game show The Cube (2009–2015, revived 2020), All Star Mr & Mrs, 5 Gold Rings, the British Soap Awards and ITV’s royal event coverage, from William and Kate’s wedding to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. For the best part of two decades there was scarcely a big television occasion without him — until May 2023 changed everything.
Coming Out and Family Life
In February 2020, Schofield made headlines of a very different kind when he came out as gay in an emotional live interview on This Morning, with Willoughby beside him. He revealed that he had been coming to terms with his sexuality for years, and announced his separation from his wife Stephanie Lowe after twenty-seven years of marriage. The couple had married in 1993, and Schofield spoke movingly about the pain of the decision and his love for his family.
Schofield and Lowe share two daughters, Molly and Ruby, and he has consistently credited his family’s support through everything that followed. Even as his marriage ended, those close to him stressed that the family’s bond remained strong — a foundation that would matter enormously when his world collapsed three years later.
The 2023 Scandal and ITV Departure
In May 2023, Schofield admitted that he had carried on what he called an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a much younger male ITV colleague, and — more damagingly — that he had lied about it repeatedly: to ITV’s management, to Holly Willoughby, to his lawyers and to the talent agency YMU that had represented him for thirty-five years. The confession detonated across British media, and the consequences were immediate and total.
Within days he had resigned from ITV with immediate effect, stepped down from This Morning and Dancing on Ice, been dropped by his agents and removed as an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust. His fourteen-year partnership with Willoughby — once the warmest double act on television — was understood to be seriously damaged. In a subsequent BBC interview Schofield said he felt he had “lost everything” and described himself as embarrassed and ashamed, acknowledging there was likely no route back to mainstream television.
Where Is Phillip Schofield Now?
Since the scandal, Schofield has lived a deliberately quiet life, keeping what he calls his “head down as much as possible”. His only return to television was the 2024 Channel 5 series Cast Away, a stark three-part programme in which he spent ten days alone on a remote island off Madagascar, addressing the camera directly about his fall from grace. It was a raw, unusual piece of television, but a short-lived comeback that did not lead to further presenting work.
In 2026 he emerged in a new commercial role as a brand ambassador for Princess Cruises, filming relaxed lifestyle content aboard ships including the Regal Princess on Baltic sailings — a long way from the This Morning sofa, but a public-facing job nonetheless. He has said he is “content” with his quieter existence and has made peace with the likelihood that his presenting career is over for good.
Net Worth, Business and What’s Next
At the height of his fame, Phillip Schofield’s net worth was estimated well into the millions, built on decades of top-tier presenting salaries — his exclusive ITV deal alone was once reported to be worth around £5 million. He channelled earnings into two companies: Fistral Productions, his television production vehicle, and Fistral Properties, a real estate firm. But company filings since 2023 have painted a stark picture, with reports of Fistral Productions’ cash reserves collapsing from over £1 million to just a few thousand pounds, and the property company carrying significant debt.
In response, Schofield has reportedly brought in specialist wealth managers to oversee his remaining finances, and property is expected to become his primary focus going forward. As for television, he has been blunt: there is no comeback planned, no show in development, no return to This Morning on the cards. The man who once never left the nation’s screens now measures his public life in cruise-ship videos and rare interviews — and insists he is at peace with that.
Conclusion
Phillip Schofield’s story remains one of the most dramatic in British television history: a hospital-radio teenager who charmed his way from the Broom Cupboard to two decades at the very top of daytime TV, then lost it all in a matter of days. Whether history remembers him for the warmth of those This Morning years or the manner of their ending, his impact on the industry is undeniable. For now, the cameras are off, the cruises are booked, and he — by his own account — is content to let the quiet years roll on.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Phillip Schofield?
He was born on 1 April 1962 in Oldham, England, which makes him 64 years old. He began his broadcasting career as a teenager and has worked in television for over four decades.
What happened to Phillip Schofield in 2023?
In May 2023 he admitted to an affair with a younger ITV colleague, which he described as “unwise but not illegal”, and to lying about it to ITV, Holly Willoughby and his agents. He resigned from ITV immediately, left This Morning and Dancing on Ice, and was dropped by his talent agency.
Where is Phillip Schofield now in 2026?
He lives a low-profile life away from mainstream television. In 2026 he became a brand ambassador for Princess Cruises, and he has said he is content with his quieter life and does not expect to return to TV presenting.
Is Phillip Schofield still married to Stephanie Lowe?
He separated from his wife Stephanie Lowe in February 2020 after coming out as gay, ending 27 years of marriage. They remain legally married and share two daughters, Molly and Ruby.
What is Phillip Schofield’s net worth?
Exact figures are not confirmed, but at his peak his fortune ran into the millions from decades of top presenting salaries. Reports since 2023 suggest his production company’s finances have declined sharply, and he has brought in wealth managers to oversee his affairs.
External resources: Phillip Schofield on Wikipedia · Phillip Schofield joins Princess Cruises
