Phillip Schofield has opened up about the incredible moment he came out as gay to his wife Stephanie Lowe’s parents.
The This Morning presenter, 58, was making Christmas dinner at the time and his mother-in-law Jill paid him a compliment, which he felt he couldn’t accept.
He told her he wasn’t the “perfect man” and decided to reveal the truth, and Jill and Phil’s father-in-law John were perfectly accepting of his sexuality.
Phil, who publicly came out as gay back in February, has been married to Stephanie for 27 years and they share two daughters, Molly, 27, and Ruby, 24.
Speaking on the Chris Evans podcast How To Wow, Phil explained: “Just before Christmas, well during Christmas, I was cleaning – I clean, when I’m stressed, I tidy up – so I was cleaning a surface at Christmas, wiping it down and Jill, my wonderful mother-in-law, said, ‘You are the perfect man, you know’.
“And I just said, ‘No Jill, no I’m not’, but it was the sweetest thing to say. So yeah, big support from them.”
Phil then read out a message from John, which said: “I may be your pa-in-law but think of me as your surrogate pa, and long may it continue.
(Image: WireImage)
“As long as Steph’s OK we don’t have a problem.”
Then Chris revealed Phil’s response to the message, which said: “Then you text him back, ‘Thank you so much, Captain, I’m so very deeply sorry to disappoint you.'”
To which John replied: “Nothing to be sorry for here son so cheer up!”
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Phil added: “I couldn’t have wanted anything else really.”
During the podcast Phil also revealed what his mum said when he asked her how his dad would have reacted to him coming out.
He said: “When I went down to Cornwall when I told my mum, I said, ‘What do you think dad would have said? Would he still be proud?’
“Thankfully she said, ‘Yes… he’ll think you’re brave and he will always be proud of you.’ So that is good.”
