Phillip Schofield facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phillip Schofield
Schofield presenting This Morning in 2013
Born	Phillip Bryan Schofield (1962-04-01) 1 April 1962 (age 63) Oldham, England
Citizenship	United Kingdom New Zealand
Occupation	Television presenter
Years active	1982–2024
Employer	ITV (1993–2023) BBC (1985–1993, 2001–2006)
Television	Going Live! This Morning< Dancing on Ice The Cube
Spouse(s)	Stephanie Lowe ​ ​ (m. 1993; separated 2020)​
Children	2

Phillip Bryan Schofield (born 1 April 1962) is a well-known English television presenter. He started his career at CBBC (Children's BBC) in 1985. He then presented many popular shows for the BBC and ITV. Some of these shows include Going Live!, This Morning, Dancing on Ice, and The Cube.

In February 2020, Schofield shared that he is gay. He and his wife of 27 years separated. In May 2023, he left his role on This Morning and resigned from ITV. He was also no longer an ambassador for the Prince's Trust.

Early Life and First Jobs

Phillip Schofield was born on 1 April 1962, in Oldham, England. When he was about a year and a half old, his family moved to Newquay, Cornwall. His father, Brian H. Schofield, worked for a company that made some of the first surfboards in the UK. His mother, Pat Schofield, passed away in October 2024. Phillip also has a younger brother named Timothy.

Phillip went to Trenance Infant School and Newquay Tretherras School. His very first job was selling ice cream from a kiosk. He loved attending the Radio 1 Roadshow when it came to his town. At 15, he had his first experience in media, hosting a Sunday show on Hospital Radio Plymouth. Even though he moved young, he is proud of his roots in Lancashire. After writing many letters to the BBC, at 17, he became a bookings clerk and tea boy for BBC Radio in London. He was the youngest employee there at the time.

Television Career Highlights

Early BBC Presenting (1985–1993)

Schofield appeared on Children's BBC programmes with Gordon the Gopher (pictured)

When Phillip was 19, he moved to New Zealand with his family. There, he started his TV career as the first presenter of a youth music show called Shazam! in 1982. He also worked for a radio station in Auckland for two years.

In 1985, he came back to Britain. He became the first on-screen presenter for Children's BBC on weekdays. He worked in "The Broom Cupboard," which was the studio for BBC Children's shows. Here, he introduced his friend and colleague, Gordon the Gopher. Phillip left The Broom Cupboard in 1987. He then presented Going Live! on Saturday mornings from 1987 to 1993. From 1988 to 1991, he hosted the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party, a popular music awards show.

Moving to ITV and Beyond (1993–2023)

Schofield and Holly Willoughby with Prime Minister David Cameron on the set of This Morning in 2013, a programme Schofield co-presented with Willoughby between 2009 and 2023

In the early 1990s, Phillip started presenting shows for adults on ITV. These included Schofield's Quest and Ten Ball. From 1994 to 1997, he hosted Talking Telephone Numbers. In 1996, he presented One in a Million, a show about amazing coincidences.

From 2001 to 2004, Phillip presented the National Lottery Winning Lines show for BBC One. Between 2002 and 2006, he co-hosted the BBC quiz show Test the Nation with Anne Robinson. In July 2006, he signed a special contract with ITV.

In August 2002, Phillip became a presenter on the ITV daytime show This Morning. He first joined John Leslie and Fern Britton on Fridays. Later, he became Fern Britton's main co-host. In 2009, Holly Willoughby took over from Fern Britton. Phillip and Holly became very close friends. They presented This Morning together from Monday to Thursday mornings until Phillip left in May 2023. Holly also left the show a few months later in October 2023.

Phillip presented The British Soap Awards from 2006 to 2023. He also hosted Dancing on Ice with Holly Willoughby from 2006 to 2011. Later, he co-presented it with Christine Bleakley until 2014. The show returned in 2018, and Phillip and Holly presented it together again. From 2009 to 2015, he hosted the game show The Cube, where contestants could win a big prize. He returned to present The Cube in 2020.

Phillip also hosted A Night of Heroes: The Sun Military Awards and the Christmas charity show Text Santa. In 2014, he did a live 24-hour TV marathon to raise money for Text Santa. He narrated Educating Joey Essex for ITV2. He also presented You're Back in the Room for ITV. In 2018, Phillip and Holly Willoughby made a special appearance on the soap opera Coronation Street.

In 2016, Phillip traveled to South Africa for a series of clips for This Morning. These clips later became a three-part show called Schofield's South African Adventure. Since March 2017, he has presented 5 Gold Rings, a game show for ITV. He also presented How To Spend It Well at Christmas with Phillip Schofield, which helped viewers choose festive gifts.

Phillip was involved in several TV shows about the British royal family. He co-hosted ITV's coverage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton's wedding in 2011 and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. In 2018, he co-hosted the coverage of Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's wedding. In 2016, he worked with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on a show celebrating 60 years of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award. After Prince Philip's passing in April 2021, Phillip co-hosted a tribute show. During the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2022, he presented two programs celebrating the event.

This Morning Controversies

In November 2012, Phillip interviewed then-Prime Minister David Cameron on This Morning. He showed a list of names from the internet. This action caused some criticism, and Phillip later apologized. ITV also paid compensation to someone who was wrongly accused.

In December 2019, Phillip and Holly Willoughby interviewed then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Some viewers felt the interview was too friendly. Phillip defended taking a selfie with Johnson, saying he would have done the same for other politicians.

In September 2022, This Morning offered to pay energy bills as a prize in their "spin to win" game. This caused a lot of discussion and criticism, as many people were worried about rising energy costs. The prize was removed a few days later.

In September 2022, during the time of Queen Elizabeth II's lying-in-state, Phillip and Holly Willoughby received criticism. They were seen entering Westminster Hall through a press route, while many members of the public waited for hours in a long queue. ITV stated they were there for work as accredited journalists.

After Phillip's departure from This Morning in May 2023, there were reports about the show's workplace culture. Some former colleagues described it as "toxic." ITV confirmed an investigation was carried out in 2021. Phillip, Alison Hammond, and Dermot O'Leary denied these claims.

Return to Television

After a break from public appearances, it was announced in September 2024 that Phillip Schofield would return to TV. He appeared in a reality show on Channel 5 called Cast Away. In this show, he was left alone on an island for 10 days and filmed his own experience. The show aired in three episodes in late September and early October 2024.

Other Projects

Radio Work

While presenting Going Live!, Phillip also had a Sunday show on BBC Radio 1. In 1988, he helped launch Radio 1's FM stereo broadcasts. In February 2010, Phillip launched Radio Plymouth in Devon.

Theatre Performances

Phillip first performed on the West End stage in 1991. He took over the role of Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat from Jason Donovan. He also recorded a song from the musical, "Close Every Door," which became a single.

His second musical role was playing Doctor Dolittle in Doctor Dolittle in London. He toured the UK with this show in 2000. In March 2018, he reprised his role as Joseph for an episode of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.

Adverts and Books

Phillip appeared in many adverts for the car buying service We Buy Any Car. He was also a brand ambassador for the company. He was later dropped by the company in October 2022.

Phillip released his autobiography, Life's What You Make It, on 15 October 2020. The book shared his life story and received positive reviews from other presenters and newspapers.

Wine Interests

Phillip collects Bordeaux wines, an interest he developed through Jason Donovan. He started writing for the Waitrose Weekend newspaper in 2013 and became the face of wine in their UK stores. In 2020, Waitrose began selling a range of Phillip Schofield–branded Italian boxed wines. However, Waitrose stopped selling these wines in 2022.

Personal Life

Phillip Schofield holds dual British and New Zealand citizenship. In March 1993, he married Stephanie Lowe. They met when he was 25 and working at CBBC, where she was a production assistant. They have two daughters, Molly (born 1993) and Ruby (born 1996).

On 7 February 2020, Phillip shared on social media that he is gay. He explained that with the support of his wife and daughters, he was coming to terms with this. He had thought he was bisexual when he married Stephanie. Phillip and Stephanie separated, and he moved out of their family home. As of June 2023, Phillip and Stephanie are still legally married, and he continues to wear his wedding ring.

Family Matters

In April 2023, Phillip's brother, Timothy, was found guilty of serious offenses. Phillip stated that he no longer considers Timothy his brother. In May 2023, Timothy was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Awards and Recognition

In 2011, Phillip Schofield received an honorary degree called Doctor of Arts (D.Arts) from the University of Plymouth. This award recognized his successful career in stage and television.

Filmography

Television Shows

Films

Stage Performances