Phillip Schofield and young employee investigated over affair rumours three years ago, ITV say

ITV has revealed it investigated rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and a young employee three years ago.

The channel said that both Schofield and the young man were questioned about the claims, but both “categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours”.

Schofield’s then-agency YMU also reportedly denied the rumours, according to ITV.

It comes as the veteran presenter admitted on Friday to lying about the relationship with the young man, which he described as “unwise but not illegal”.

The relationship with the ITV employee took place before Schofield publicly came out as gay on This Morning in 2020.

At the time he had been married to his wife Stephanie Lowe since 1993.

In a statement released to the Daily Mail, Schofield said: “Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship.

“That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.”

ITV had said it felt “badly let down” by Schofield following his admission of lying.

On Saturday, the channel confirmed it had investigated the rumours in 2020.

An ITV spokesperson said: “Further to our statement last night, ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated.

“Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then agency YMU.

“In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour.

“Phillip’s statement yesterday reveals that he lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship.”