Phillip Schofield reveals he will be discussing his mental health battle over the next few weeks

Phillip Schofield got emotional on Thursday’s This Morning as he discussed his mental health battle.  

The presenter, 58, who announced in February he was gay after 27 years of marriage, revealed he has needed ‘a lot of help’ in recent times.

Phillip credited his wife, Stephanie Lowe, 56, and daughters Molly, 27, and Ruby, 24, and co-host Holly Willoughby for supporting him. 

Phillip was discussing the topic of mental health with Holly and Simon Gunning, CEO of charity CALM, on Thursday’s episode of This Morning.

The Office for National Statistics shared recent data that suicide rates for men in England and Wales in 2019 was the highest for two decades, this is before the current coronavirus pandemic. 

During the discussion, Phillip bravely shared: ‘Over the next few weeks I will be talking quite a lot about my mental health and where my head has been in recent times.

‘It’s surprising how you think you’ve got a grip on everything and suddenly your head takes you to dark and scary places. 

‘You say that loved ones can be instrumental on helping and there’s no question I needed a lot of help in recent times with people who sit right beside me right now [pointing to Holly] who helped me enormously. 

‘Steph, my wife at home, my girls [daughters], my family… and loved ones can be instrumental in helping.’

Phillip noted that he was ‘lucky’ as he has a strong support group, he added: ‘I understand and realise that not everyone is as lucky as I am, to have sympathetic ears to listen to.

‘Or people that can even understand how you can help someone just by listening but the first point surely has to be, really, is to reach out to the people that know you the best and hopefully you can find a rock that you can tie yourself to…’  

Phillip ended the segment by issuing advice to struggling viewers although he stressed that he is ‘not trained in any way’.

He said: ‘I am not trained in any way, but all I know is that I’ve been to some fairly dark places in my head that when those clouds roll in… 

‘If you are patient, if you hang on, if you wait, then it is extraordinary how the clouds break up and a little bit of sunshine can come through.’

He concluded: ‘Don’t rush into judging your life because you never know where it might go quite quickly.’  

In February, Phillip announced he was gay after 27 years of marriage as he shared an emotional statement to social media.

Following his revelation, the presenter took his place on the This Morning sofa besides co-host Holly, who has supported him, to further pour his heart out.

Writing on Instagram about his decision to come out, he said: ‘With the strength and support of my wife and daughters, I have been coming to terms with the fact that I am gay.

‘My inner conflict contrasts with an outside world that has changed so very much for the better. Today, quite rightly, being gay is a reason to celebrate and be proud.’

He later admitted in an interview with The Sun on Sunday that it was too early to say if he and Steph would stay married. 

‘It has taken me a long time to get here, I am not rushing to get to any other place,’ he told the publication. 

‘We will always be a family… And where the wind blows us I don’t know. But I still love Steph as much as when we first met. More probably.’

Phillip is married to wife Stephanie and the couple are parents to Molly, 27, and Ruby, 24.

The presenter previously revealed he had been leading the ‘perfect life’ after getting married and raising his two children, claiming he hadn’t wanted anything to get in the way of his happiness.

But he said he was ‘naive’ to think he could suppress his sexuality when he married Stephanie 27 years ago, and he didn’t consider his sexuality as it was such a ‘joyous time’ for him.

Phillip also admitted he battled depression as he struggled with his sexuality, and even sought therapy to come to terms with it, before deciding he found it more helpful speaking to friends in private. 

The ITV star is said to have recently moved out of the Oxford family home and into a new £2million bachelor pad in Chiswick, west London. 

Meanwhile, it’s been reported that the TV personality is planning an ‘amicable’ divorce from his wife Stephanie, where he will share his £9million fortune. 

Phil reportedly has no plans to move on with anyone else and is against a costly divorce battle – especially with his earnings at an ‘all time high’. 

The ITV presenter is gearing up for the launch of his new autobiography book, Life’s What You Make It, where he will discuss his sexuality. It is set for release on 15 October. 

In July, Phillip took to Instagram to announce the release and admitted he had written the first line ‘when he was 14’, claiming it was a ‘deeply emotional’ experience.

In both a video and its caption, Phillip explained: ‘After being asked many times, and after many years of wanting to, I have written my autobiography. 

‘I wrote the first line of the book, in my head, when I was about 14. It took me until 2017 for me to finally write the first chapter and then I stopped because the time wasn’t right.

‘It has certainly been something of a work in progress! Over the years I have been making notes of the stories and events of my life that I thought would tell my story.

‘Finally, in lockdown, I knew that all the pieces of the jigsaw had been put into place and I was ready to write – that and a new discovery… lots of free time!

‘It has been a fascinating experience, both immense fun and deeply emotional. Finally, after all these years, I’m happy it’s gone from my head, to the page.’

Phil concluded by saying he had ‘been honest’ and ‘been me’ in the autobiography, as he urged his followers to pre-order the book set for release on 15 October.

If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org