Yahoo News 'I don't care': Phillip Schofield reveals mum's support when he came out as gay
Phillip Schofield revealed that his doting mum Pat told him “I don’t care” when he travelled to Cornwall to tell her he is gay.
The This Morning presenter smiled as he told co-host and friend Holly Willoughby about the emotional exchange.
Schofield appeared on This Morning just minutes after posting a statement on his Instagram page.
He mentioned mum Pat, 83, after thanking his friends and family for their love and support.
He said: “She’s been on the phone all morning – ‘hope you’re ok’ – you know – ‘thinking of you’ – and I went down to see her, she’s in Cornwall, and I went down to see her and I told her and she said ‘oh, ok – well, I don’t care’.
“And it’s been the same with everyone.”
The 57-year-old presenter, who has been married to wife Steph for almost 27 years, said he had started to feel “lighter” after telling his family and friends.
He said: “You know this has been bothering me for a very long time.
“Everyone does these things at their own speed, in their own time - when they feel the time is right. There is no question that, in recent times, it has consumed my head.”
He said he felt guilty about the impact the news would have on his wife of 27 years, Stephanie, and two daughters. He said: “I am very, very conscious of the hurt and so my overriding emotion for my family is obviously going to be guilt because I do feel guilty that this can’t be anything other than a painful process.”
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The presenter married Stephanie Lowe in March 1993, after meeting while she worked as a BBC production assistant and he was working for BBC children’s television. The couple have two daughters, Ruby, 24, and Molly, 27.
Support from friends and family has been echoed across the media today. Holly Willoughby led the way saying “Never been more proud of my friend than I am today”, and Eamonn Holmes told him: “Nobody should be embarrassed about their sexuality and it’s fantastic you have spoken out. There will be so many people who have been strengthened by what you’ve said.”
