Dame Caroline Dinenage, a government official, has expressed worry over Phillip Schofield‘s mental health.
Schofield, 61, quit This Morning and resigned from ITV last month after lying to his colleagues and employers about his involvement with a young colleague. He has recently spoken up about the impact the events and repercussions have had on his health.
During a shocking interview with Amol Rajan for the BBC, he acknowledged that he might not be alive if it weren’t for his daughters Ruby and Molly Lowe.
‘If it hadn’t been for my girls, I wouldn’t be here because I don’t see a future,’ he explained.
Dame Caroline, the Minister of State for Digital and Culture, appeared on Sky News and was questioned whether she was concerned about Schofield’s well-being by reporter Kay Burley. ‘I am concerned,’ she said. This situation has been quite tragic, in my opinion.’
The 51-year-old then alluded to the young man with whom Scofield had an affair. He formerly worked as an ITV runner, first on This Morning and then on Loose Women.
‘It’s two careers that have been devasted by this case, two lives that have been really severely impacted. Not to mention their families and loved ones.’
‘I think we’ve probably talked about him as an individual enough,’ she added. What we have currently are the workplace practises of ITV and other service broadcasters, which give us all confidence that they have a responsibility of care to their employees.’
During his BBC interview, Schofield drew parallels between his case and that of Caroline Flack.
‘How much do you want a man to take? Are you truly only happy when he’s dead? This is how Caroline Flack felt. And it didn’t stop.’
Flack, the Love Island host, committed suicide in February 2020 at the age of 40.
The tragedy occurred while she awaited a court hearing on assault charges against Lewis Burton, her boyfriend at the time.
The Metropolitan Police department was chastised at the time for how they handled the case and has subsequently apologised for failing to retain documents on why Flack was charged.
Christine Flack, Flack’s mother, has also expressed her worry for Schofield.
When she joined Victoria Derbyshire on Friday’s episode of Newsnight she began by saying: ‘It worries me because it’s relentless on him. I do feel worried for him.’
Asked for her thoughts on why Phil referenced Flack in a recent interview, she responded: ‘He knew Caroline and I must say, when she died, he was very upset. I think now, he’s realised even more what she went through.’
Kay, 62, mentioned Flack’s case and asked: ‘How concerned should we be that people in this position are put under so much pressure that they feel the only alternative is to take their own life?’
‘It’s a terrible situation to be in,’ Dame Caroline responded.
‘As you say this is not the first time ITV have found one of their stars to be in this space. It’s incredibly sad that anyone would ever feel that way.’
Need support?
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
If you’re a young person, or concerned about a young person, you can also contact PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide UK. Their HOPELINK digital support platform is open 24/7, or you can call 0800 068 4141, text 07860039967 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org between the hours of 9am and midnight.
Source My Celebrity Life.
