As Phillip Schofield makes his return to TV on Channel 5’s Cast Away, we get a glimpse into the strong support network and closeness he shares with his wife Stephanie as well as their daughters Molly and Ruby.
His family have remained a pillar of support to him when he come out as gay and later when his affair with a younger male colleague at ITV come to light as well as his exit from This Morning. Schofield told the cameras that his family’s love for him has “never wavered” as he filmed his “survival story” totally alone on an island off the coast of Madagascar.
It has been long reported that Stephanie has “no plans” to divorce Schofield. The Schofields have been married since they tied the knot in 1993 and they share their two grown up daughters Molly, 30, and Ruby, 28.
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In April, the ex couple celebrated Schofield’s birthday and their 31st wedding anniversary – with both of them pictured in London out with their new dogs and wearing their rings. Still making important life decisions together, they had decided to get two brown cockapoos from the same litter.
Their eldest daughter and publicist Molly has been behind Schofield’s big TV comeback on Channel 5’s Cast Away which all of the family feature in. They let the cameras into their family home and garden where they enjoyed a goodbye BBQ with the presenter before he jetted off on his telly adventure.
Weathering the storm of the scandal together as a family united them, Molly revealed. She told the cameras: “Weirdly everything that’s happened recently has brought us closer.”
Phillip and Stephanie are ‘best friends’
Stephanie has always stood by her husband publicly and their daughter revealed her parents remain best friends. The PR guru doesn’t shy away from how tough it has been for the family though as she said her dad coming out as gay was initially “very hard” for all of them and it changed the path of their lives forever.
Molly told the cameras for Cast Away: “When my dad came out, it was very hard for the entire family. Mainly my mum of course. Everything was turned upside down. But over time it’s got easier.
“My mum, my sister, we’re all the same. We’ll continue to support him no matter what. I never thought it would have gone the way it has but to have my parents still best friends is just, I’m the luckiest person ever.”
Back in 2020, Schofield went public with his sexuality on the This Morning sofa in an emotional conversation with his former best friend Holly Willoughby. While it has been hard on their family, Stephanie has always shown her loving support in public.
The wife praised her husband for taking a “brave step” and she said she loved him just as much as she had always done.
Stephanie told The Sun in 2020: “I will still be there, holding his hand. Everyone should be proud to live their own truth. Our family have also been so supportive and will help us going forward. Although this is difficult for us all, I support Phillip in taking this brave step.”
Family Whatsapp group Schofields
Closer as a family unit, they all revealed how they stay in constant contact especially through their Whatsapp group Schofields. Stephanie admitted it would be strange for them not to know how Schofield was getting on during the filming. “It’s going to be weird for us though, not having a single clue,” Stephanie said at the family BBQ.
Molly agreed saying: “Not having him reply or be in the family Whatsapp group.” Schofield secretly filming his comeback was going to have a huge impact on them all as Molly said their family Whatsapp group would be “so quiet” without their dad around to message them all.
The Schofield family heartbreak
Schofield previously revealed he had told his wife about his “unwise but not illegal” affair. After the scandal hit headlines, the former This Morning star sat down with the BBC for an interview and he discussed the impact it had on his marriage with Stephanie.
He told the BBC in June last year: “We are separated but we are very much together. Let’s just say it was an incredibly difficult conversation. The most difficult conversation I’ve ever had to have with her and she is extremely disappointed because I lied to her as well. But she wished me well today.”
The heartache the Schofield family have been through also featured in Cast Away. Molly described seeing her dad fall out of favour with the public as “heartbreaking”. She said: “We’ve seen him in his lowest times but I’ve been so proud of him. So proud of him. As a daughter, to see the love that people had for him and when it’s taken away it’s just heartbreaking… I really hope people see him how we see him because he is just amazing.”
As Schofield’s life changed forever last year, the star said he had planned to take his own life but it was his daughter’s heartbreaking plea that stopped him. he said: “In the last eighteen months, it got as dark as it is possible to get. A year ago I got so, so close. I had everything in place, everything was set up and everything was ready and it was Molly that was looking after me.”
He added: “Molly and Ruby both looking after me at the time, and Molly said: ‘Do you imagine what this would do to us if you actually managed to pull this off? Can you imagine what would happen and can you imagine what it would do to me if you did this on my watch?’ That was just enough, just enough to take a step back from the edge. I could have been hospitalised, I just raced to the family home and shut the gates and I was in there.’”
The Schofields remain closer than ever.
Phillip Schofield’s Cast Away returns to Channel 5 at 9pm on Tuesday, 1 October.
For confidential emotional support contact The Samaritans at any time by calling 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org