Phillip Schofield coming out as gay on This Morning doubled ratings for Friday’s show
PHILLIP Schofield‘s emotional coming out gave This Morning an unprecedented ratings boost – pulling in almost double its average audience.
A peak of 1.7million viewers tuned in to watch Phillip bare his soul to Holly Willoughby during the first 10 minutes of Friday’s show.
It’s This Morning’s highest ratings since October 2018, when their special episode covering Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank clocked an average of 3million viewers.
Friday’s instalment also became the first episode of This Morning to enter ITV Hub’s Top 10 most-watched since overnight on-demand records began in November 2018.
Only episodes of Love Island, Coronation Street, White House Farm and Emmerdale were more popular.
More viewers watched Phillip’s brave revelation live than This Morning’s 30th anniversary celebration, which got 800,000 viewers in October 2018.
The show regularly pulls in average of around 900,000 viewers.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun about the impact of his coming out, Phillip said: “Make no mistake, I did this for me.
“But I also hope it might make others feel they can do the same.
“I guarantee right now there are actors, sportsmen and other high-profile people experiencing the same thing.
“Everyone from bankers to bakers, all sorts. I know there are some people who will never come out. But I hope maybe some might feel more able to after this.”
Phillip came out as gay in a heartfelt Instagram message moments before Friday’s episode of This Morning.
He then told best friend and co-star Holly: “It’s tough but this is not something that’s happened quickly, I’ve had to deal this in my head for quite some time.
“I got to the stage where I thought we sit here, every day, and some amazingly brave person is sitting over there and I’m thinking ‘I have to be that person’.
“All you can be in your life is honest with yourself. I was getting to a stage in my life where I was thinking I don’t really like myself because I’m not being honest with myself.”
Phillip has been married to wife Steph for 27 years. The couple have two children, Molly, 26, and Ruby, 24.
The TV star admitted there had been “a certain amount of hurt and pain and confusion” in his relationship while discovering his sexuality.
But Steph, 56, vowed to stand by him, saying: “I love Phillip, as much today as I ever have, and always will.”
Today’s episode made no reference to Friday’s bombshell. It opened with Phillip presenting Holly with a decadent cake to celebrate her 39th birthday.