Whenever someone well known comes out as gay, after the acceptance, the thought inevitably enters that they may have jumped before being pushed, that one or more organs of our free and fearless press may have been about to “out” them anyway. And when it comes to outing those who have not yet come out as gay, one newspaper has a special place somewhere between the gutter and the sewer.
Oh hang on, is that a Sun reporter over there?
To no surprise at all, that newspaper is the Murdoch Sun, where, it seems, very little in the way of Sleb tittle-tattle is off limits. Driving much of that part of the paper’s output is the deeply unpleasant Dan Wootton, a self-promoting creep of no known principle. Which brings us to the recent admission of Phillip Schofield, nowadays a regular presenter on ITV’s This Morning, that he was gay. Did he make that admission of his own accord?
Well, he did, but the further question concerns the possibility that the press was about to “out” him. Suspicion has inevitably fallen on the Super Soaraway Currant Bun, after many noticed that back in December, the paper had run a series of particularly nasty attack pieces featuring Schofield, not least “Phillip Schofield sparks civil war at This Morning after relationship with Holly becomes strained & Ruth makes complaint” on December 6.
The author? Yes, it was Dan Wootton. We read that a series of presenters was “unhappy about the host’s attitude” (attitude - geddit?!?). Also, “The Sun can reveal his professional relationship with close friend Holly Willoughby has become strained in recent months”. Backed up by “An ITV source” and “A former colleague”. And Ruth [Langsford] is alleged to have complained because … Schofield once interrupted her on air.
What's Dan's involvement with this story?
But do go on. “Amanda Holden is the only star who has attacked Phillip publicly. She confronted him in the This Morning studio after he blocked her filling in for Holly when she presented I’m A Celebrity last year”. Except that’s not quite true, is it, Dan? The Sun article admits that: “AMANDA Holden clashed with Phillip Schofield after she believed he got her axed from This Morning”. “She believed” is upgraded to “he blocked her”.
This was then followed by “THIS Morning fans claimed Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were ‘trying too hard’ to look like they were getting on during today’s show after their tense relationship was revealed”. A desperate trawl of social media. Then came “HOLLY Willoughby struggled to compose herself at the press launch of Dancing On Ice amid reports of a feud between herself and Phillip Schofield”. No evidence provided.
The knocking copy started up again just four days before Schofield made his live-on-air admission that he was gay. Now, all of this may be entirely coincidental, but right now, my Occam’s Razor is pointing at the December hit pieces showing every sign of being a deliberate softening-up exercise. The thought occurs that someone at the Sun knew, and maybe, ultimately, Schofield knew they knew. So he took matters into his own hands.
If that was the case, it would not be the first time the Sun had dabbled in “outing”. And it shows that when it comes to the commercial interest, nothing sells like the prurient interest. More than half a century after homosexuality was decriminalised, our free and fearless press likes nothing more than to do a little celebrity outing.
Which also includes plenty of falsehood and misinformation. No change there, then.
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40 comments:
I think this one is fairly simple to be honest. A paper promised him a fair interview if they refrained from negative press.
Then you only need to see who he did the interview with.
I'm only spitballing though
And now they've hounded someone else to death. Which will mean more copy so they'll be rubbing their hands with glee at a job well done.
Brit broadcast and press media are the sewer of the planet.
Owned, staffed and fronted by conscience-free scum.
A mafia of corrupt tenth rate mediocrity.
I would have thought dan Wootten as a gay man himself would have kept his big opinionated gob well and truly shut but hey ho
Integrity will out karma is a bitch.!
He came out because he was having an affair and was threatened to be outted after that relationship went sour, google Phillip Schofield Affair
Philip Schofield is DEAD?
Amd now the sun have found someone else,s lives and marriages to ruin Kelvin & Oti so you can see why Phillip came out before the Sun did it for him !!!
This debate is only fuelling the press's fire reactions give the gutter press the erection they crave we as a nation need to stop being their viagra. So Schofield is gay its 2020 who gives a toss it's his right. As for Caroline Flack R.I.P Angel x
The Sunday press will make a fortune today from poor Caroline who they hounded on many occasions previously.I remember the terrible headlines about her when she was dating Harry styles, she was a cradle snatcher, possessive etc nonsense. I hanged myself at home last year and I am 46.my first and only attempt. I concerned friend called the police and they came round and found me me.and resuscitated me. And my life is so different now in a superb way. so if anybody out there is thinking of doing what Caroline did please don't reach your help speak to a friend or phone a helpline and get through this moment because there is always a solution even if you feel that low that you have no other choice. Make that call!!
It's a pity its took 27yrs to be honest . Instead off keeping quite to make money just so he can have a good life . Frightened incase him being honest would not get him a better tv role ... its happened before . But that's ok let's ruin his wife's life after being there for him forever ... lucky Philip for everyone feeling sorry for him... sorry if I feel unsympathetic but that's life
Stories make money but isn't life more important. Leave the stars alone. Any intentions they have, like affairs or being gay, let them say and tell when they are ready. Not up to sleazy rag mags.
Wot a waste ov a life again..tragic
With PS it's not the fact he's gay- who cares, it's the disengenous way he did it! Simpering on the sofa like he's a victim with a super injunction in place.
My husband had a sex change after being married for 12 years. It crushed me. So yes feel for the wife not the selfish bastard.
Where is your proof and why anonymous
Schofield came out as a poor victim "living a lie" after his ex-boyfriend threatened to tell the true story.
Here we have a piece going on about evidence free articles in The Sun (which of course they do) but accusing The Sun of being about to "out" Schofield without any evidence at all is pretty much the definition of irony.
A bit of a self awareness fail there.
With that attitude I wouldn’t blame him . He probably didn’t want to do it but found it a better option than living with you .
People like you will forgive any celeb anything, no matter how bad, as long as it's something you champion.
Woman hits a man? That's fine because it was a woman and if the man had been A Real Man then it would never have happened, and if he forgave it then he should because women have had to put up with it off ALL men since we lived in caves-men deserve it. But man hits a woman, then you detonate.
Person comes out as gay? They are "brave"...only they're not. Maybe back in the 1950s, 60s or 70s but certainly not after then. Coming out as gay in a Muslim country is certainly "brave" but western society has been accepting of a person's sexuality for decades. Soldiers, firefighters, paramedics, anyone who puts his life on the line for others are brave. Announcing your sexuality is just being honest to yourself-it's nothing to be ashamed of.
Why are you not mentioning the accusations of his (Philip Schofield's) online grooming of a 15 year old boy? The fact that he has lied for decades to his faithful wife and children? The fact that he is destroying a marriage to selfishly pursue his own desires, abandoning his family? The fact that every single gay relationship he has will now be fodder for the media, wiping those lies it in his broken family's faces. Why are you not questioning that?
Yes, he really is a hero. But only to people like you.
OMG lol ������
Yeah exactly what I thought. Drama on national tv winging like a child. It was horrible and I lost respect for him.
Only four people this affected and was Phillip and his wife and daughters. Wootton makes my skin crawl a gossip and a gay man,l would pay for his return to Oz
If public continue to buy this apology of a newspaper and believe what they print this hounding of people will never stop! Goodness knows where they get stories from, they are salacious and deeply hurtful.
Oh pleeese. Like you know everything. Shut up you moron
They have to report domestic abuse, surely.
You are correct, his 18 year old was about to out him
No disrespect to philip scofield. Your gay that is your business and choice. But the story took up too much coverage.
Maybe if you wanted to educate people especially the youngers. Tell people that it is not ok to deceit the other person and waste there lives. Its cruel and heartache. In the end you came out the better person! With all that highlights and tribute. You shpuĺd have done that 27 years ago it wasnt a crime. Media coverage was too much. Lots more news is so much more important. RIP CAROLINE FLACK
I've not bought nor read the 'Sun' since the phone tapping scandal it's not changed still out to destroy the weak amongst us.
Why is everyone feeling sorry for Mr Schofield..... surly it's his wife and children where the support should go to most....r.i.p Caroline.... know more suffering darling...
He has already distroy his life by distroying his marriage. Tit for tat
That scofield is a rotten swine
Where's the truth in this statement and who has he had affair with?
Don't understand abou Caroline did she commit suicide or was she murdered
Agree
Why is unknown having a meltdown?
If my 18 year old daughter came home with a 57 year old man I'd call him a paedophile. If my 18 year old son came home with him same thing perverse
Super injunction to stop publication about the Runner story. Super soaraway gets exclusive first interview (aside from Holly's on air chat) to keep them sweet. Holly having to lie to help out Schofe may be the reason for stress on that relationship.
You would think that itv bosses would have learned by the bbc covering up for the likes of jimmy savile and co in the 70 & 80’s. The big difference even with your gagging order we now have a thing called the internet and these stories will out. No one cares that he is gay. But do care in the way he is shutting out the real reason why he came out. I wonder what else is to come with the sorted way mr schofield has conducted himself in the past. I feel sorrow for his wife and children but none for the people that are protecting him.
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