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Phillip Schofield: Colleagues feared I was dying due to dramatic weight loss before I came out

Phillip Schofield's weight loss became noticeable in the months before he came out. (Getty Images)
Phillip Schofield's weight loss became noticeable in the months before he came out. (Getty Images)

Phillip Schofield has revealed his This Morning colleagues feared he was dying due to his dramatic weight loss in the weeks before he came out.

The 58-year-old TV presenter made the dramatic announcement live on air in February this year that he was gay – after 27 years of marriage to wife Steph Lowe – a secret that caused him a great deal of stress and anxiety.

Schofield told Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast: “It was draining in that no one other than Holly [Willoughby] knew. All the people I worked with just thought I was really ill. I was losing weight, thin, staring into the mirror.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 28: Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield pose with the award for Live Magazine Show for 'This Morning' in the winners room attends the National Television Awards 2020 at The O2 Arena on January 28, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Holly Willoughby was the only person at This Morning who knew Phillip Schofield's secret. (Getty Images)

“It was the worry of other people that was a bit unsettling. I couldn’t be jokey and jovial, I was just quiet.

“They all said, ‘Is that all?! Oh thank God, I thought you were dying!’”

Read more: Phillip Schofield threatened to leave 'This Morning' unless Holly Willoughby was hired

When Schofield came out in February – first on Instagram, followed by an interview with his This Morning co-presenter Holly Willoughby – he denied any pressure had been put on him to make his sexuality public. He insisted it had been a personal decision after years of “inner conflict”.

The Cube presenter has published a tell-all memoir Life’s What You Make It, detailing his long inner-conflict about his sexuality.

Schofield has admitted he still feels confused, even after coming out publicly.

Phillip Schofield almost teared up as he thanked Brian Cox for his kind comments. (ITV)
Phillip Schofield was praised for coming out. (ITV)

He said: "I'm still learning what effects that has on my life and the life of those around me.

Read more: Phillip Schofield says 'talking saved me' after he revealed he was gay

"Do I know who I am? No. I think if I'm honest, looking you right in the eye now, I'd say I'm still pretty confused."

He went on to say that though his "head's just as muddy as it was before", he feels "no shame".

Watch: Phillip Schofield reveals Holly Willoughby’s role in his decision to come out