PHILLIP Schofield’s brother is on trial at Exeter Crown Court in a case surrounding alleged sexual abuse of a teenage boy – and this is why the This Morning star has been axed from ITV1 screens this week.
Yesterday, we reported that Alison Hammond was replacing Phillip on This Morning in a “trial run” after impressing ITV bosses – and now we can reveal the further details on why Telly bigwigs were forced remove Schofe from screens.
A court heard Timothy Schofield, 58 visited the house of the disgraced daytime TV presenter two years ago, where he allegedly confessed to watching porn and performing a sex act with a teenager and Politicalite can reveal that the case has been under reporting restrictions for over two years.
Phillip, 60 – who faced his own backlash over an alleged affair with a former colleague, claimed he was “shocked” when his brother admitted to sexually abusing a teenage boy, a court has been told.
Timothy, 54, appeared in the dock at Exeter Crown Court on Monday, where he’s facing 11 counts of sexual offences.
Robin Shellard, a barrister who specialises in sexual offence claims, told the court: “On the 12th of September 2021 he phoned his brother Phillip saying that his head was in a mess and could he come and see him.
“The defendant is seven years younger than Phillip and they had not been particularly close growing up. However, in December 2019, the defendant told his brother he was gay.
“According to Phillip, the defendant travelled up that day and he was extremely agitated.
“His brother described him as very angry and distressed. The defendant also told his brother that he was impotent.
“The defendant then said his brother would hate him for what he was about to say, his brother said that he wouldn’t and then the defendant said he had their time together and they had watched porn and w***** together.
“Phillip Schofield then said ‘what did you just say?’ and the defendant repeated it was last year and just once.
“Phillip said it should never happen again.”
Shellard claimed that Phillip, 60, was “shocked” by the confession.
Shellard continued: “The defendant then started to talk about the boy’s body.
“The defendant said it was ‘time’ and Phillip said: ‘What the hell is time?’ and was shocked.
“Later the defendant left for home and it was not spoken of again.”
Meanwhile, the judge, Justice Johanna Cutts, has urged the jurors to ignore Phillip’s celebrity status.
She said: “His brother is Phillip Schofield, and he happens to be the well-known television personality.
“I say happens to be as that fact has no relevance at all in this case. He is not going to be coming to this court to give evidence – any evidence that he could have given is not in dispute.”
Timothy has denied all of the charges and the court case continues.
More follows.
