Phillip Schofield reveals why the time was right to come out as he appears on ‘This Morning’
The ITV presenter came out as gay in a statement on Friday morning (7 February).
By Will Stroude
Phillip Schofield opened up about the timing of his coming out announcement during This Morning on Friday (7 February).
The ITV presenter, 57, discussed his decision to come out as gay publicly with co-presenter Holly Willoughby, who asked how he’d decided the time was right to open up about his sexuality.
“It’s a good question”, replied Schofield, who had thanked his wife and daughters for their “strength and support” in his coming out announcement.
“The thing is… You know this has been bothering me for a long time. I think everybody does these things at their own speed, at their own time, when they feel the time is right.
“And there’s no question that in recent times it has consumed my head, and has become an issue in my head.
Schofield, who also thanked Willoughby for her support in his coming out statement, continued: “We sit here every day, and I’m over there, and some amazingly brave, incredible person is sitting here, and I’m listening to their story and thinking ‘Oh my God, you’re so brave’, and I’m thinking: ‘I have to be that person’.
“I think all you can be in your life is honest with yourself. And I was getting to the point where I knew I wasn’t [being] honest with myself.
“I was getting to the point where I didn’t like myself very much because I wasn’t being honest with myself.
He added: “When is the right time to do it? As a family, it’s the right time.”
Read Phillip Schofield’s coming out statement in full here.