Amid extensive media coverage, Schofield resigned from ITV, was removed as an ambassador for the Prince's Trust, and was dropped by the talent agency that had represented him for over 35 years.

[2] Aged 19, Schofield moved with his family to New Zealand, where he made his television debut as the initial presenter of the youth music programme Shazam!

[12] In August 2002, Schofield became a presenter on the ITV daytime show This Morning, joining John Leslie and Fern Britton on Fridays.

[13] In October of that year, Leslie stepped aside from the programme after allegations about his personal life, and Schofield replaced him as Britton's co-host, first on a temporary and then a permanent basis.

[16][17] Starting in 2005, Schofield presented two series of Have I Been Here Before?, a daytime programme in which a celebrity attempted to use regression to get in touch with a previous life.

[26] In 2018, Schofield and Willoughby made a cameo appearance on Coronation Street, when they interviewed Rosie Webster, Craig Tinker and Gemma Winter on This Morning after their role in a drugs bust at Underworld.

[33] ITV's director of television, Peter Fincham, said that Schofield was "wrong" in confronting Cameron and the broadcaster had agreed to co-operate fully with government regulator Ofcom's investigation into the matter.

"[36] Viewers argued that the pair had been more critical when interviewing Jeremy Corbyn, who faced repeated calls to apologise for accusations of antisemitism in the Labour Party.

When a contestant failed to provide the qualifying passcode on air This Morning ended the phone call, prompting Willoughby to say, "Well, we're not going to make Joyce's dreams come true.

[43] British politician Mary Kelly Foy tweeted:I'm disgusted that @thismorning have used people being unable to afford their energy bills as some kind of twisted gameshow.

[48] ITV said that Schofield and Willougby were escorted from the press gallery by government staff and did not file past the Queen's coffin.

Social media users contrasted this with the actions of former prime minister Theresa May and other celebrities including David Beckham, Susanna Reid and Tim Vine, all of whom queued for many hours with members of the general public.

[49] Since the departure of Schofield and the revelation of his extramarital affair with a much younger male ITV co-worker, several people involved in the show have alleged a toxic culture operated.

[56] Questions over safeguarding and complaint handling by ITV were raised generally and on 14 June Carolyn McCall answered to MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

[69] Following the final episode of the series, aired on 3 October, Schofield addressed his "haters", speaking about "toxic" people in his life and his brother Timothy.

During the episode, Schofield bared his backside as he ran into the sea for a night-time swim, in a scene that many viewers complained about on social media.

While appearing in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Schofield was approached to record a cover of "Close Every Door" to be released as a single.

He was sent two cases of Burgundy by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman with a set of tasting notes; Schofield joined the Wine Society two years later.

[80] When in Rome stopped selling the wines on its own website after revelations emerged about Schofield's affair, saying "this collaboration has drawn to a natural conclusion".

[91][92] Following months of speculation about his private life,[93] and widespread reports of a feud with Willoughby,[94] Schofield presented This Morning for the last time on 18 May 2023, after more than 20 years in the role.

[95] Two days later, he announced his departure from the programme with immediate effect, saying: "ITV has decided the current situation can't go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.

[94] In a statement to the Daily Mail on 26 May, Schofield admitted that, before leaving his wife in 2020, he had carried on an extramarital affair with a younger male ITV co-worker.

[104] Elton John said that "If it was a straight guy in a fling with a young woman, it wouldn't even make the papers" while Jeremy Clarkson said "It seems to me he is only guilty of being what he said he was: gay.

[107] Following his resignation, he gave separate interviews to BBC's Amol Rajan and The Sun in June 2023, in which he apologised to the co-worker for bringing the "greatest misery into his totally innocent life."

He said his career was over; said he had "lost everything" and felt "utterly broken", embarrassed and ashamed;[108] and claimed that if not for his daughters Ruby and Molly guarding him, he would have attempted suicide.

[108][109] Although he acknowledged the age difference, Schofield said he believed homophobia was a factor in the media coverage, suggesting that an affair with a woman would not have created such a scandal.

"[114] Stating that it was "deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit" made by Schofield, ITV severed ties with him,[115] and instructed a King's Counsel to carry out an external review of its handling of the incident.

[116][117] ITV confirmed that This Morning would continue without Schofield,[98] and announced that Jane McDonald would replace him as host of The British Soap Awards.

[81] As a result of the controversy, ITV in October 2023 began requiring all workers at the network – including staff, consultants, contractors, freelancers, apprentices, and individuals on work experience – to disclose all personal relationships with colleagues.

The policy applies to co-workers in romantic or sexual relationships, but also to those who are friends or relatives, who live in the same household, or who share other close connections.