Phillip Schofield has revealed he was on medication to cope with the agony of being in the closet before coming out as gay.
The This Morning host, 58, revealed his sexuality in an emotional interview with his friend and co-host Holly Willoughby on the show back in February.
Writing in his new book Life’s What You Make It, Phil details the harrowing effect the experience had on him, as he struggled to sleep more than two hours a night and battled poor mental health as he prepared to come out.
His weight plummeted to an all-time low and he took prescription pills to “take the edge off”.
(Image: Mike Marsland/WireImage)
Phil admits he knew he had to come out, saying: “If not, the secret was going to give me a total breakdown… at best.”
He added: “My weight dropped and as it hit 9st 12lbs the This Morning viewers started to notice. I was getting tweets from people asking if I was ill.”
Phil recalled the time he called in sick just before he was due on air on This Morning.
(Image: S Meddle/ITV/REX)
Ringing Steph, he said he just couldn’t bring himself to do the show.
He says he knew he needed help when he had to run off air on This Morning to be sick.
Phil came out in a statement posted to Instagram on February 7.
(Image: PA)
(Image: S Meddle/ITV/REX)
The TV star wrote: “With the strength and support of my wife and my daughters, I have been coming to terms with the fact that I am gay.”
Despite his coming out, Phil said his mental health is “still a work in progress”.
He is still regularly speaking to therapists about his guilt over how his coming out affected his family.
(Image: handout)
Phil wrote: “I’m finding it hard to pick my way through the debris.
“Is there a way to reveal a secret like this to the world and not hurt your wife or your family?”
* Life’s What You Make It by Phillip Schofield is out now
