Still at his side, despite it all: A look inside the unbreakable bond between the ex-This Morning host and his devoted wife Stephanie Lowe
It seemed like a picture-perfect way to celebrate a birthday – husband and wife stepping out into the spring sunshine, each cradling a puppy in their arms.
But behind the smiles, Phillip Schofield’s expression on his 62nd birthday told a different story. Despite the bright morning, it was clear he’s still struggling to put together the broken pieces of his life.
Next to him was Stephanie Lowe – his devoted wife – just days after they quietly marked their 31st wedding anniversary. Though separated for four years, the two remain married, and Stephanie has astonishingly continued to stand by Phillip’s side, despite the public scandal that shook their family to the core.
Their marriage was rocked in 2020 when Schofield came out as gay in a live television broadcast. Yet, rather than walk away, Stephanie chose to remain. A gesture that many have described as one of unconditional love, forgiveness, and unwavering loyalty.
At one point, Schofield was riding high – earning a £730,000 salary fronting This Morning, enjoying lucrative ad deals, and believed to be worth £10 million. But within months, it all came crashing down.
After a string of controversies — including tension with co-host Holly Willoughby, criticism for skipping the Queen’s lying-in-state queue, and the arrest of his brother on child abuse charges — Schofield abruptly quit This Morning after 21 years.
Then came the bombshell: he admitted to having a relationship with a much younger male colleague, which he had denied to ITV bosses, the public — and most heartbreakingly, his own family.
In an emotional BBC interview, Schofield called it “a grave error” that cost him everything. “I’ve lost everything. What am I going to do with my days?” he said, visibly broken. “I see nothing ahead but blackness… regret… guilt. I did something very wrong, and then I lied about it consistently.”
His greatest pain, he admitted, was what he had done to Steph and their daughters Molly, 30, and Ruby, 27. “I had a wonderful marriage… still do in many ways. Steph has been incredibly supportive. We’re separated but still very much together,” he said, wearing his wedding ring.
He recalled the moment he confessed the affair to Stephanie: “It was the most difficult conversation of my life. She was extremely disappointed – because I lied to her too.”
In 2020, shortly after coming out, Schofield spoke glowingly of his wife, describing her as “remarkable” and his “closest confidante.” He admitted he had known he was gay when they married but had chosen to bury the truth, fearing it would disrupt their happiness.
“Steph knew for a while. When you live with someone, you just know,” he said at the time. “She’s the kindest, sweetest soul I could ever have met.”
Even then, he knew he’d hurt her deeply. “It’s so hard because you know you’re hurting the perfect person — but I still love her, even more than when we first met.”
Stephanie also spoke out after his coming out, calling it “the most emotionally painful time in our 27 years of marriage.” Yet she added, “I love Phillip as much today as I ever have, and always will.”
The couple, though separated, stayed close — even attending Leigh Francis’s 50th birthday party together just last year. When the affair came to light, Stephanie was said to be furious and devastated, having believed the young man was only a colleague and friend.
Since then, Schofield has mostly stayed out of the spotlight, dividing his time between London, Cornwall, and their former family home in Oxfordshire. In November, he was spotted out with Stephanie and daughter Molly, and the trio reportedly spent Christmas together.
More recently, sources claimed Stephanie still has not filed for divorce because “she doesn’t want to see him fall any further.” A friend told OK! Magazine, “She still loves him. Even if that love has changed, it’s still there. She is, and always will be, his support system.”
For now, both are focused on their matching chocolate cockapoo puppies — believed to be from the same litter — and continue to share a quiet life far from the cameras.
Phillip Schofield’s TV career may be over, but if there’s one light that hasn’t faded, it’s the extraordinary devotion of the woman who knows him best.
📰 Source: Daily Mail
