Phillip Schofield was a no-show on This Morning while in turmoil over sexuality: ‘It was a very stupid thing to do’

Presenter came out as gay in February

Phillip Schofield once refused to present This Morning at the last minute because he was in such turmoil over his sexuality.

In February this year, Schofield released an emotional statement on Instagram revealing that he is gay.

The television presenter said that his wife of 27 years, Stephanie Lowe, and their two daughters, Ruby and Molly, had been supporting him while he had been “coming to terms with the fact that I am gay”.

In his new memoir Life’s What You Make It, the star tells how, before he came out, he once fled to his London flat instead of appearing on the show.

His co-host Holly Willoughby was left to present the ITV programme alone as viewers were told that Schofield had called in sick.

“I sat alone in the flat, staring at the walls, as This Morning started on the other side of London,” he writes.

“It was a very stupid thing to do... all my closest friends knew how ragged my head was but no one except Steph knew why.”

In his new book, he also writes about how keeping his sexuality a secret almost led to a total breakdown, and his weight plummeted due to his anxiety about coming out.

Life's What You Make It is out now.