TELLY presenter Phillip Schofield gave a character reference which was used in court for a friend who pleaded guilty to a revenge porn offence.
Phillip, 60 — who has hosted debates about the horrors of revenge porn on This Morning — gave support to Ben Perryman.
The 29-year-old received a suspended 12-week jail term and four-year restraining order to stay away from his victim after posting a naked picture of the man on social media.
Perryman also had to observe a curfew after admitting disclosing a sexual photograph with intent to cause distress at Liverpool crown court in June 2018.
His restraining order recently expired.
Dancing on Ice host Phillip did not know what the reference was to be used for.
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Perryman, who has previously dated Coronation Street star Rob Mallard, 30, has socialised with Phillip over the summer.
Snaps shared online include the duo enjoying a takeaway and bottle of £40 Bollinger champagne in a garden.
In another image, Perryman posed topless and in sunglasses next to a barbecue with the bubbly on display.
He added the cryptic message: “Whoops we did it again.”
Phillip was all smiles in sunglasses as the pair visited a garden centre to pick up shrubs.
In a snap shared by Phil, he posed hugging a cute dog.
He wrote: “It’s mutual love in the sun.”
Perryman also shared a fun edited clip from Phil’s garden of him jumping in and out of a paddling pool.
And the pair were pictured on Perryman’s Instagram page in July sharing a picnic with another friend close to Phillip’s home in West London
Risque selfies shared online by Perryman include a fully nude image in which his modesty is protected by a vase.
He added the caption, “Anyone seen my clothes?”.
Perryman was director of two firms — in media and leisure — which have been dissolved.
He is now believed to work in property.
Revenge porn — the distribution of sexually explicit images or videos of individuals without their consent — has been a frequent topic on This Morning.
The ITV show’s website has listed helplines and asked victims to get in touch for a future show.
In 2016, Phillip and co-presenter Holly Willoughby interviewed three women about revenge porn.
A year earlier he and Amanda Holden discussed the subject with former Dragon’s Den star Duncan Bannatyne.
Also in 2015, Phillip and Holly talked about it with callers when revenge porn was set to be made illegal.
TV favourite Phil moved out of his family home after coming out as gay in 2020.
He shared a £2million pad in Oxfordshire with wife of 27 years Steph and their two daughters.
He and Holly, 41, recently faced a backlash after being accused of jumping the queue to see the Queen lying in state.
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They insisted were there “strictly for the purpose of reporting on the event” and had not taken anyone’s place.
Phillip and Perryman were approached for comment.
