Inside Phillip Schofield's 'year from hell' - and why his wife Steph will always be his 'rock'

It's been almost one whole year since Phillip Schofield, in his own words, "lost everything" following his affair with a younger male colleague during his time on This Morning.

The TV presenter soon sensationally quit This Morning after 21 years of fronting the show and released a statement that said: "I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future."

Now, as the anniversary looms since that fateful period, Phillip is reportedly still adjusting to a new life ahead of him, following what was a year from hell.

"Phillip will obviously be aware of the anniversary date coming up," a source told OK!. "His life has changed so much since that time he’s lost so much professionally, personally and also financially. He was the King of Daytime TV and This Morning was such a huge part of his life for such a long time, it takes time to adjust to not having that."

In May last year, not only did Phillip step away from the daytime show he'd been a part of since 2002, but there were also rumours of a "fall-out" between the 62 year old and his co-presenter Holly Willoughby, 42.

At the time, there was talk of tension on-set as the once-close pals were said to have been "barely speaking" once the cameras stop rolling. They put on a united front but Phillip later admitted things weren't the same between the pair.

Speaking to The Sun prior to his exit, Phillip said: "The last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us. "We’re the best of friends – as always, she is an incredible support on screen, behind the scenes and on the phone."

And now, according to a source, as the anniversary approaches, Phillip could use the time to reflect on the domino effect his decisions had. "It had such a knock-on effect on other people, including Holly," they said. "She really was his best friend for many years. He’s had to adjust to losing friends as well as his job."

But one thing's for sure - his wife Steph and his two daughters, Ruby and Molly, have been his much-needed support system and 'rock' through the difficult period.

"Thankfully he’s still got Steph and their two daughters around him," the source continued. "They’ve been really supportive of him through some really dark times."

"Steph is his rock, his safe space, she’s there for him, She’s shown him kindness, she’s listened to him, she’s a total angel. She’s been there at his darkest moments and I don't think would want that to change."

Although Phillip came out as gay in 2020, there's been no sign of separation between himself and his devoted wife of 31 years, Steph. In fact, the TV presenter himself confirmed that the couple have no plans to divorce, declaring in an emotional interview during the fallout from the exposé, “I have a wonderful marriage."

He also thanked Steph for being an “incredibly supportive wife”. Steph repaid his compliment, saying, “I love Phillip, as much today as I ever have, and always will.”

Steph met Phillip in the early days of his career when she was a BBC TV production assistant, and they later went onto marry in 1993 in a fairy-tale wedding in the far north of Scotland.

Since the affair emerged last year, the former Dancing On Ice host Phillip has been keeping a low profile - but this could be all set to change as he looks towards the future.

"He’d love to somehow get back into TV or maybe radio, but it’s about whether people can forget," the source claimed. "He was such a big name and on our screens every morning, it takes time for people to get over that shock."