Phillip Schofield shares heart-warming reaction from his wife’s parents after coming out as gay
This Morning host Phillip Schofield. (HGL/GC Images)
Phillip Schofield has opened up about the incredible reaction from his wife’s parents when he worked up the courage to tell them that he is gay.
The This Morning presenter came out publicly in an interview with his co-host Holly Willoughby in February 2020.
In October 2020, he discussed what it was like to come out to his parents-in-law during an appearance on Chris Evans’ How to Wow podcast.
During the discussion, Schofield opened up about a heart-warming text message he received from his father-in-law, John, after he came out.
“I may be your Pa-in-law but think of me as your surrogate Pa, and long may it continue… As long as Steph’s OK we don’t have a problem,” the text read.
Evans said: “Then you text him back, ‘Thank you so much, Captain, I’m so very deeply sorry to disappoint you.”
Phillip Schofield’s father-in-law replied: “Nothing to be sorry for here son so cheer up!”
The presenter heaped praise on his parents-in-law, describing them as “amazing”.
“My whole family, my God, the reaction from all of them was extraordinary,” he said.
Phillip Schofield’s mother-in-law described him as the ‘perfect man’
Phillip Schofield went on to reflect on a heartfelt exchange he had with his mother-in-law the Christmas before he came out as gay.
“But just before Christmas, well during Christmas, I was cleaning – I clean, when I’m stressed, I tidy up – so I was cleaning a surface at Christmas, wiping it down and Jill, my wonderful mother-in-law, said, ‘You are the perfect man, you know.’
“And I just said, ‘No Jill, no I’m not’, but it was the sweetest thing to say. So yeah, big support from both of them.”
Phillip Schofield won plaudits when he opened up about his long struggle to come to terms with his sexuality last year.
Speaking on the podcast Life, Interrupted with Simon Thomas in January, Schofield revealed that he was afraid his coming out would be misinterpreted as a “publicity stunt”.
He explained: “The date was decided because we didn’t want it to be too close to the NTAs (National Television Awards), we didn’t want it to look like it was a publicity thing.
“I can remember saying, ‘This is ridiculous, you know, this is the biggest thing I’m ever gonna do in my life. How is this a publicity stunt? For what?”
