the controversial scandals surrounding Philip Schofield has been the talk of the day as people express their displeasure on the situation. Nana akua TV presenter hosted some guest as they discuss what they feel about Philip Schofield scandal.
Below is their interactive conversations live on TV
nana akua : Hi, this is a big scandal everyone’s talking about. Love that dress, by the way, it’s beautiful. Very nice! What do you think?
Amy Nickell: Um, well, I’ve been lying if I said I wasn’t interested. I think this has been irresistible gossip, hasn’t it? And everybody seems to have a story and anecdote about it.
I think it’s because daytime TV is supposed to be squeaky clean. It’s meant to be, you know, trey bakes and advice about housewives, whatever. And the fact that it could be tainted like this, and as it unfolds, it’s very reminiscent of the Weinstein vibes. It’s giving me a young impressionable boy who wanted a career in TV, and that is an abuse of power, isn’t it? Because he got him his job in TV, and then they proceeded to have a relationship. And I think that’s what makes this so stinky.
And Philip Schofield, he’s deceived us all. We all trusted him. He was a safe pair of hands, although he was never that popular. He had an average popularity rating of 37 throughout the time he was on the show, but we trusted him. I think it’s the way he managed to convince not only the audience but his wife, now seemingly his TV partner Holly Willoughby. He convinced everyone, and we feel deceived.
Person E: But don’t forget, this is gossip, yes, but gossip is good for us, and it bonds people. Yeah, it’s been proven gossip has health benefits. I’m taking it as a positive. It depends if you are the center of that gossip.
Oh no, not for him, not for Philip, but then he’s deceived everybody. He didn’t, a lot of people around him appeared to have already known. The rumors were going everywhere anyway. How was this interesting? One can have so much sway. He had so much say over who worked this morning, who got the chop, who stayed. The stars on screen, off screen, he had so much sway. It was like the absolute leader of that show, and I think that’s really intriguing.
Amy Nickell: Well, I’m ripped. You, I’ve been struggling over the last few days to understand why this is newsworthy at all. I mean, it’s obviously very sad for Philip, very sad for Philip to have his reputation trashed. You know, it is his own fault. But I don’t think that having an extramarital affair and lying about it is all that unusual in life.
Granted, the boy was 15 when he joined, uh, when he met… um, Philip. But I don’t think he joined until a few years later. And by the boy’s own admission, young man now, the relationship started when he was in his 20s. So, but they’ve both, I mean, look, I’m not casting doubt on what he’s saying, but they have both lied, haven’t they? When ITV initially…
Guest: Yeah, but they said that, but Nana, how many people has been lying? From how many people have extramarital affairs and then blast it from the rooftop in order for the integrity of their position to be maintained? It just doesn’t happen. This is an age-old story that, unfortunately, for the protagonist, antagonists in this particular story, is unfolded in the public domain.
Guest: But what staggers me, really, I think the real story here is that the British public, if all the airtime it’s Person E: getting, is reflective of their interest in it. It can be so interested in something so irrelevant that doesn’t really impact anyone’s life. I don’t… You know what? I think there’s a level of… all of it is a bit overkill, but there is a level of it that is relevant. And the level that’s relevant to me is that somebody in a senior position can use that position in terms of an abuse of power and literally, you know, put a young person, that is, the young people, sorry…
Amy Nickell: Hold on, Amy. Hang on, sorry. I’ll finish my answer before you both talk over me. Right, so now what I’m saying is that it is, in a sense, the abuse of power, and that is the ultimate crux of it. But also, because Philip Schofield has lied on so many occasions. I mean, he came out as gay, so he’d been lying to his wife initially, if rumors be believed that she didn’t know. I thought he was gay anyway. I mean, I’m just saying that’s what I thought. I thought, “What’s new? Already gay? I’ll do it anyway.” So, he lied to his wife, and then they did the queue gate thing where they jumped the queue, which was rather unsafe considering they’re supposed to be squeaky clean. And they did it for the benefit of those who couldn’t go. Very nice of Holly. And then, this final incident, which is… everybody knows about now, we’re completely…
Amy Nickell: Um, I think it’s an insight into the way TV and the entertainment industry can work. And I actually wouldn’t be surprised if this prompts a bit of a MeToo moment, because I think there are a lot of people, a lot of innuendo, value people who work in entertainment who have been in these situations where they’ve gotten into relationships to further their on-screen…
Guest: But the young man is not a boy, but he’s not complaining. He’s not… we haven’t heard from him, I believe…
Amy Nickell: Well, we have. His lawyers have made a declaration that actually, he maintains no relationship started when he was underage. It all happened later. His lawyers were paid for by Philip Schofield, really a short-sighted thing for Philip Schofield to have done because he empowered the boy to have third-party advice. He thought he was controlling it, and actually, what he did was take the lid off it. But the point is, there has to be…
Amy Nickell: I think it’s really wrong to imply that there’s some kind of grooming. There may have been grooming, but there’s no suggestion from the young man that there’s been grooming going on or that it was an abusive relationship.
Person A: Because the fact is that the boy had to leave the show, and a lot of sources have said that the boy was very distressed and put out. And we don’t know the dynamics if you’re having a relationship, but we don’t know.
Guest: But Amy, you just said we don’t know. We do know that somebody was having a relationship with somebody a lot more junior than them at work, and that’s problematic. And we also know that that doesn’t make it worthy of national news. It doesn’t make it necessarily illegal. The innuendo is incredibly unethical.
Person B: Well, it’s wrong in the workplace, and probably it’s prohibited by his employment contract. Most employment contracts prohibit relationships within a workplace. But either that, that in itself, it… he’s being… the impression we’re being given by the press is that this boy has been preyed
Guest: on and that he’s in an abusive relationship. I think, by the way, most relationships where there’s a massive age gap, I think personally, I think it’s unhealthy. I mean, that doesn’t mean that all relationships like that aren’t healthy, but the innuendo, I think, is very dangerous.
Amy Nickell: Unless there’s a specific crime alleged, in which case, allege the crime and prosecute. But there’s a suggestion, neither Nana nor I have used the word grooming. When you said there’s a Weinstein element to this, well, that was grooming. He said, “Hey boy, I’m gonna make you a star, come on.” Weinstein is in jail. Weinstein is in jail, but that’s how Weinstein used his power exactly.
Guest: While I hear the #MeToo element of it, other people may come forward if there is such a thing, and if that is the case. But ultimately, the boy was of age, and, you know, ultimately, didn’t do anything illegal.
Person A: He didn’t, but he did something incredibly unethical. He seemingly seduced that boy. But we don’t know that for sure. So until that young lad comes forward, then, you know, then those questions will be…
Guest: But I know, but you meet people in all sorts. I think if there’s an allegation of a crime, no relationship until he actually joined our TV. And in that case, he was, 15 when he met Philip Schofield, but he didn’t join until a few years later. And by the boy’s own admission, the relationship started when he was in his 20s.
Amy Nickell: But they’ve both lied, haven’t they? When ITV initially…
Guest: But how many people have been lying? How many people have extramarital affairs and then blast it from the rooftop in order for the integrity of their position to be maintained? It just doesn’t happen. This is an age-old story that, unfortunately, for the protagonist-antagonist in this particular story, has unfolded in the public domain. But what staggers me, really, I think the real story here is that the British public, if all the airtime it’s getting is reflective of their interest in it, can be so interested in something so irrelevant that doesn’t really impact anyone’s life.
I don’t… You know what? I think there’s a level of… all of it is a bit overkill, but there is a level of it that is relevant. And the level that’s relevant to me is that somebody in a senior position can use that position in terms of an abuse of power and literally, you know, put a young person, that is, the young people, sorryHold on, Amy. Hang on, sorry. I’ll finish my answer before you both talk over me. Right, so now what I’m saying is that it is, in a sense, the abuse of power, and that is the ultimate crux of it. But also, because Philip Schofield has lied on so many occasions.
I mean, he came out as gay, so he’d been lying to his wife initially, if rumors be believed that she didn’t know. I thought he was gay anyway. I mean, I’m just saying that’s what I thought. I thought, “What’s new? Already gay? I’ll do it anyway.” So, he lied to his wife, and then they did the queue gate thing where they jumped the queue, which was rather unsafe considering they’re supposed to be squeaky clean. And they did it for the benefit of those who couldn’t go.
