PHILLIP Schofield was spotted dining in a restaurant with an alleged ‘toyboy lover’ that he is said to to have had an affair with behind the back of Mathew McGreevy back in March 2019, Politicalite can exclusively reveal. 

Schofield, 61 was spotted by a source in March 2019 who had popped in for lunch at White City’s swanky Bluebird Restaurant next to the ITV Daytime Studios at Television Centre in West London – the posh restaurant boasts bottles of Champagne at up to £130 a bottle.

Speaking exclusively to Politicalite in 2020, the source said: “I saw them together and I said to my friend I didn’t know Phillip Schofield was Gay, she said he’s not, he is married, and I said to her that they didn’t look like that to me, I thought they looked more like a couple.” 

The claims add further fuel to fire of an alleged affair with This Morning runner, Mathew McGreevy and this was the reason for the pair splitting up, Politicalite can reveal.  

Schofe was spotted drinking with another runner, Mathew McGreevy back in 2015 in an internet prank video posted by YouTuber JackJonesTV who was popular in the mid-2000s.

HOW SCHOFE GROOMED HIS ‘GOPHER’ 

AGED 18 before Mathew McGreevy landed the plush runner job on the hit ITV daytime show, the budding actor got an exclusive ‘taste for television’ spending the day with Phil and his co-host Holly Willoughby in an VIP ‘access all areas’ tour at ITV’s then London Studios on the South Bank.

The lad was also a member of ‘The 2 Faced Theatre Academy’ in Holmfirth, close to Sheffield were Phillip, 57 is a patron.

The bombshell revelations and alleged affair have left many fans wondering what age Mathew was when the pair first started the alleged relationship.

The allegations have also ignited suggestions that Phillip Schofield abused his position of power and possible ‘grooming’ of a young person. 

Mathew told The Manchester Evening News at the time: “I couldn’t believe how everything was done so quickly and I learnt a lot from Philip Schofield” 

“I am very new to TV, and I am always learning. I have learnt a lot from The 2 faced Theatre Academy and they have opened many doors for me.”

McGreevy and Schofield interacted well before 2014, in 2011 Phillip followed McGreavy on Twitter and Mathew tweeted at the host: “@Schofe hey phillip, thanks for following me, how are you?”

According to WattsApp messages believed to be from a show insider, McGreevy was said to be “furious” that Schofe had apparently ‘f*cked him over’ and was reportedly going to go to the press. 

Mathew was also said to have had a ‘close working-relationship’ with Schofe and after he had a ‘bust up’ with the host he left This Morning to work on rival show Loose Women, fronted by Ruth Langsford.

Ruth Langsford, Centre Mathew McGreevy, Left

Rumours went into over-drive on the set of the hit daytime show after Langsford lodged an official complaint.

“It was odd because they were so close and then he up and went to Loose Women and they didn’t seem to be talking much anymore,” one source told the Sun.”

At the time ITV said: “”It’s deeply disappointing and unfair for Phillip to be the target of this sort of malicious gossip.”

A show insider told The Daily Star Sunday: “Lots of people who work at This Morning have known Phillip is gay for a few years.”

“It was an open secret among the team but none of them would have ever said anything about it publicly,” and according to one source, he often took younger gay guys “under his wing” and became a mentor to them.

They said: “Phillip is a very caring guy. Over the years he has supported others who are gay and made sure they feel comfortable to be themselves.

“There was one runner who was struggling to deal with his sexuality and Phillip was quick to offer support and become a mentor for him.”

Phillip – who has now left the broadcaster entirely – said in a long statement issued to the Daily Mail on Friday: “I am making this statement via the Daily Mail to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story which they wanted to write about me a few days ago.

“The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on ‘This Morning’.

“I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at ‘This Morning’.

“Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship.

“That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.”