Apart from a couple of boisterous lunches, and a brief return to TV, Phillip Schofield has rarely been seen in public since his bombshell fall from grace more than two years ago.
At a trendy Soho hotel last September, the one-time king of daytime TV put on an animated display as he appeared to put his troubles behind him when he was spotted dining al fresco with daughter Molly and long-time friend Scott Brown.
And just days ago the former This Morning host set tongues wagging after staggering out onto the street clinging on to a mystery male companion after a boozy session.
It later emerged Schofield’s ‘partner in crime‘ during his lost afternoon was London-based nurse and academic Joshua Sharman, 30.
Now the Daily Mail can reveal the two men – who are thought to be in a relationship – are playing a key role in helping the fallen star get his life back on track.
They have become part of Schofield’s ‘support network’ after his glittering 40-year career ended in disgrace when he admitted lying to bosses about his affair with a much younger male colleague.
Joshua – a senior lecturer in adult nursing at London South Bank University – certainly seemed to be doing more than his share of the propping up as he and Schofield, 63, emerged from The Arzner bar and cafe in Bermondsey, south east London on Saturday.
Married Schofield – who came out as gay in 2020 – appeared to cling onto him for dear life as he stumbled out from the venue which is part of the capital’s only dedicated LGBTQ+ cinema.
London-based nurse and academic Joshua Sharman, 30, seemed to be doing more than his share of the propping up as he and Schofield, 63, emerged from a cafe in Bermondsey, south east London on Saturday
Joshua has been revealed as one of two men helping the fallen star get his life back on track
Married Schofield – who came out as gay in 2020 – appeared to cling onto him for dear life as he stumbled out from the venue, which is part of the capital’s only dedicated LGBTQ+ cinema
One of the big reasons Schofield is happy, say friends, is the support network he has around him – like Joshua and Scott (pictured left)
Wealthy communications expert Scott (pictured left) is a former account director with advertising giants M&C Saatchi and now runs his own media company
Joshua’s family say he and Schofield have been ‘good friends’ for a number of years
On his Instagram account, Joshua, whose friends include Coronation Street actress Sally Lindsay and Gok Wan, describes himself as a ‘nurse, academic, inexperienced aviator and clueless but optimistic PhD candidate’
Thankfully they didn’t have far to go, as Joshua escorted Schofield to the nearby £1.8 million townhouse home where the lecturer lives with Scott, 47.
Friends told the Mail’s Katie Hind that Schofield is ‘enjoying his best gay life’.
They say the father-of-two is enjoying his newfound freedom on the gay scene in after years spent hiding his sexuality.
‘Phil doesn’t care any more. He is who he is and now he is able to be that person,’ said one associate of the former This Morning presenter.
‘He is spending more and more time in the London Bridge, Waterloo, Bermondsey area of London. It’s much more him than Chiswick these days. That’s all a bit stuck-up: a bit of a Nappy Valley area, and very family-orientated.
‘That isn’t who Phil is anymore. They are not his people. He is very much in his ‘having fun’ era.
‘He was having a ball at the Arzner, but he also goes to other venues in the area. He’s built up a group of friends in the community and is loving life. It’s time to move on and make the most of things.’
‘Gone are the days of cycling along the river in Chiswick. It’s time for something new.
One of the big reasons Schofield is happy is the support network he has around him – like Scott and Joshua.
According to his social media accounts, Joshua appeared to have enjoyed a party lifestyle of his own in his younger days before focusing on a career dedicated to others.
On his Instagram account, Joshua, whose friends include Coronation Street actress Sally Lindsay and Gok Wan, describes himself as a’ nurse, academic, inexperienced aviator and clueless but optimistic PhD candidate’.
He worked his way up after starting out in 2012 as a health care assistant providing community palliative care in his home town of Leicester.
After a spell as a nursing assistant working in London hospitals, in 2016 he became a staff nurse at St Thomas’ NHS Foundation.
Joshua, who remains a registered nurse, became an associate lecturer in adult nursing at Middlesex University before going on to land a role as senior lecturer at South Bank five years later.
According to his personal profile on the university’s website, Joshua carries out research which addresses ‘the challenges of medical misinformation and its impact on healthcare’.
He is also currently studying for a PhD and his busy schedule has included having flying lessons in a bid to get his pilot’s licence.
Joshua also ran the London Marathon for the first time this year raising nearly £4,000 for a local secondary school where he is a governor.
Meanwhile wealthy communications expert Scott – a former account director with advertising giants M&C Saatchi – runs his own media company which specialises in ‘producing digital campaign materials for ‘governments, non-profits, inter-governmental organisations and progressive companies’.
The firm, now called Zinc Network, had a £16 million turnover last year and claims to ‘address global challenges through campaigns that promote positive social change’.
Scott set up the business alongside Robert Elliott, who began his career as a TV researcher for shows like Pop Idol, Big Brother and Deal Or No Deal.
Joshua ran the London Marathon for the first time this year raising nearly £4,000 for a local secondary school where he is a governor
Josh (pictured) and Scott have provided a much-needed shoulder to cry on after Schofield’s dramatic downfall when he dramatically quit ITV
Joshua’s father told the Daily Mail: ‘They’re not partners, they’re pals…they don’t know what all the fuss is about’
As well as his day out with Schofield at the trendy Ham Yard Hotel last September, Scott has previously been seen at Schofield’s side at difficult times in his life.
In February 2024, Schofield was all smiles as he enjoyed an afternoon out with Joshua and Scott in Borough Market – just as it emerged Ben Shephard had been lined up to replace Schofield on This Morning.
The pair provided a much-needed shoulder to cry on after Schofield’s dramatic downfall when he dramatically quit ITV.
Now Joshua’s family have confirmed the supporting role he has been playing – scotching rumours that the pair are an item.
Speaking at the family home in Leicester his father Mark Sharman, 61, told the Daily Mail: ‘My son and Phil have been good friends for many years.
‘They’re not partners, they’re pals, and had gone out with a group. They don’t know what all the fuss is about.’
Mark insisted he believed Schofield had been treated unfairly by ITV saying: ‘I’ve met Phil – he’s a lovely guy but I’ve not seen him for some time.
‘I think he’s doing very well now after what he’s been through.
‘Phil was persecuted by ITV, they tried to ruin his life.’
He said his son did not wish to ‘comment about their friendship’ saying: ‘Why would he?’
Just months before his career came crashing down, Schofield was riding high as one of Britain’s highest profile TV celebrities earning £730,000-a-year for fronting This Morning alongside Holly Willoughby and worth a reputed £10 million.
But it all fell apart after he admitted to the Daily Mail he had misled ITV bosses as well as his loved ones over his relationship with the male colleague.
In the aftermath of the scandal, Schofield – who had also presented Dancing on Ice with Holly and racked up a series of lucrative advertising deals – was dropped as an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust.
For Schofield, the hardest part to explain was the impact the revelations had on wife Stephanie, who he remains married to after 32 years
Schofield later admitted he had made ‘a grave error’ but insisted the affair was ‘unwise but not illegal.’
He said at the time: ‘I have to talk about television in the past tense, which breaks my heart. I have lost everything.’
For Schofield, the hardest part to explain was the impact the revelations had on wife Stephanie, who he remains married to after 32 years along with the heartaches suffered by Molly, 31, and youngest daughter Ruby, 28.
He said: ‘I had a wonderful marriage, have a wonderful marriage, although it’s not brilliant right now, with an incredibly supportive wife and two wonderful children.’
Significantly, Schofield, has continued to wear his wedding ring despite confirming at the time that he and Stephanie, 61, were ‘separated but we are very much together.’
Describing the moment he confessed the affair to his wife he said: ‘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.’
Three years earlier, in February 2020, Schofield praised his ‘remarkable’ wife after he announced his sexuality live from the This Morning sofa.
He admitted after the revelation, that he knew he was gay when he tied the knot with Stephanie.
But he told how he had been leading the ‘perfect life’ as a married family man and said he hadn’t wanted anything to get in the way of their happiness.
Schofield said he knew he had caused his wife great pain saying: ‘That is what makes this so hard. Knowing you are hurting the perfect person but I still love Steph as much as when we first met. More, probably.’
It was later revealed Stephanie chose not to file for divorce because she did not want her husband to ‘fall any further’ then he already has, and despite everything, ‘the love is still very much there.’
Schofield has rarely been seen in public since the scandal unfolded and in the aftermath of the scandal he split his time between his London home and a bolthole in Cornwall.
He revealed more about the fall out of the affair when he made his TV comeback in Channel 5 series Cast Away last October.
Schofield spoke of the ‘utter betrayal’ by TV colleagues claiming he was ‘chucked under a bus’ and went on to appear to take a swipe at Holly.
He told how he had ‘locked ‘himself ‘away from the outside world’ in the wake of the scandal and revealed how, in the depths of despair, he considered ending it all.
Speaking on the first episode of the three-part series Schofield 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.
‘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.’
Paying tribute to his wife and daughters he said: ‘Without them, I wouldn’t be here.’
Just months before his career came crashing down, Schofield was riding high as one of Britain’s highest profile TV celebrities earning £730,000-a-year for fronting This Morning alongside Holly Willoughby
During the programme, he addressed the relationship at the centre of the scandal, saying: ‘It’s like the biggest grenade going off in your life. You know you let people down, you know you’ve let yourself down.
‘It was an unwise and unprofessional thing to do. I will be forever sorry. I screwed up. I made a mistake, and I hurt the people around me.’
Schofield sparked further controversy by claiming his relationship would not have mattered if he was not gay, and suggested an affair with a woman would have meant a ‘pat on the back’.
He said: ‘I think another TV presenter or two might have done exactly the same thing, difference is, heterosexual, it’s not an unusual thing in the gay world for there to be a difference in age groups.’
Schofield went on to suggest his stint on the desert island survival show would be his last TV appearance saying: ‘This is me having my say as I bow out.’
