PHILLIP Scofield's career in showbiz will "never recover", an I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! star has warned.
Comedian Seann Walsh has likened the fallout from Phillip's affair scandal to the one he experienced after his Strictly fling with Katya Jones was revealed.
The I'm A Celebrity star, 37, became public enemy number one when he was pictured kissing Russian pro dancer Katya on a boozy night out in London in 2018.
It ultimately cost him his relationship with then girlfriend Rebecca Humphries, and his career also took a big hit.
Arguably, it wasn't until the latest series of I'm A Celeb, in which he was a campmate, that he regained his mainstream platform.
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Reflecting on Instagram, Seann wrote: "It is very surreal watching what is happening with Phillip Schofield right now and knowing what that is like.
"Not many go through it in life. It seems very strange to say I have. Whether you think justice is being served or not, let me tell you now, he is f***ed for the rest of his life. You do not ever fully recover from that."
This week Phillip spoke for the first time about his affair with a much younger colleague at This Morning, revealing he is “utterly broken and ashamed” — but stressed he did not groom him.
The axed This Morning host, 61, who has been in hiding since the scandal broke, approached The Sun to tell his story after what he says was a week of lies flooding social media.
He said: “I did not, I did not (groom him).
“There are accusations of all sorts of things. It never came across that way (an abuse of power) because we’d become mates. I don’t know about that.
“But of course I understand that there will be a massive judgment, but bearing in mind, I have never exercised that anywhere else.
“I assume somebody, somewhere, assumed something was going on, correctly, and didn’t say anything."
The star continued: “At the time I did not think about it possibly ruining my career. I really probably only thought about it when I saw the rumour mill, and saw it growing.
“Then I saw the link with the drama school photo all those years before, and thought, ‘This looks shocking’.
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“But I didn’t lie to protect my career, he didn’t want his name in public. He wanted his own life.
“The lies grew bigger and bigger and bigger and it was affecting both of us deeply.
“It got to the stage where it was out of control and for whatever cost, it had to stop.
“I have massive guilt, and regret. I’ve made a mistake, I’ve had an affair at work.”
Furiously vaping, he added: “I think my greatest apology must go to him.
“It has brought the greatest misery into his totally innocent life, his totally innocent family, his totally innocent friends. It has brought the greatest grief to them.
“I haven’t spoken to him since this s*** show kicked off, but when this was all beginning to get out of control, I paid for his lawyers to independently work on his behalf.
“I am deeply sorry and I apologise to him because I should have known better. I should have acted the way I have always acted. I should not have done it.
“I’m sorry. And I will forever be sorry. I will die sorry. I am so deeply mortified.”
Schofield has admitted lying to cover up the affair which sparked a tumultuous week, with ITV bosses being accused of hiding the facts.
With his career in tatters, he decided to put the record straight by speaking to The Sun and the BBC’s Amol Rajan.
Addressing lurid allegations and rumours posted online, Schofield insisted his former boyfriend did not receive a penny in “hush” money.
He said no non-disclosure agreement was ever signed that would have prevented the man from speaking out.
Meanwhile, his former co-star Holly Willoughby addressed her former co-star's scandal for the first time when she returned to This Morning on Monday.
