Phillip Schofield has rushed to hospital to be at the bedside of his 87-year-old mother after she fell seriously ill.
The 61-year-old appeared heavily reliant on his mother Pat after he quit This Morning amid controversy about his affair with a younger male colleague.
Phillip left London for Cornwall and was snapped being consoled by his mother on a bench during a walk in the countryside.
However, Pat was reportedly admitted to a hospital in the South
West and has been treated for an unknown condition for several days.
A
TV insider told The Sun: “Given that his mother was the woman Phillip turned
to in his hour of need, her illness is a particularly cruel twist of
fate.
“He adores his mother and the whole family is trying to
remain hopeful and keep faith that Pat will make a full recovery.”
Schofield left This Morning on May 20 and was spotted in
Newquay with his mother less than a week later.
He was
subsequently dropped by ITV and the broadcaster later launched an external
review into its own handling of the debacle.
The unnamed former
runner will be quizzed by independent barrister Jane Mulcahy KC during the
probe.
A source told The Daily Mail: “ITV have kept in touch with the
man and there will be a very thorough investigation, where many people close
to the situation will be asked questions.
“It will be his chance
to have his say. It could most definitely lead to some difficult reading for
ITV’s bosses.”
Schofield admitted to having an “unwise but not
illegal” relationship with a younger member of staff while he was married to
Stephanie Lowe.
The scandal emerged after the 61-year-old’s
on-screen relationship with This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby started to
fall apart.
Willoughby, 42, returned to ITV’s flagship daytime
show earlier this month.
She also managed to put the scandal
behind her after she was spotted at Glastonbury music festival.
ITV
bosses are still searching for Schofield's permanent replacement.
However,
Willoughby has already been joined by several stand-in co-hosts on the This
Morning sofa.
Josie Gibson, Dermot O’Leary and Craig Doyle have
all appeared alongside the mother-of-three.
