Phillip Schofield breaks his silence on grooming allegations and admits: 'This looks shocking'

“I did not, I did not (groom him). There are accusations of all sorts of things. It never came across that way (an abuse of power) because we’d become mates. I don’t know about that," Schofield told The Sun.

“But of course I understand that there will be a massive judgment, but bearing in mind, I have never exercised that anywhere else.

“I assume somebody, somewhere, assumed something was going on, correctly, and didn’t say anything."

He resigned from the broadcaster last week and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to an affair with a younger male colleague.

The relationship took place while Schofield was still married to wife Stephanie Lowe and before he came out publicly as gay.

He said: “At the time I did not think about it possibly ruining my career. I really probably only thought about it when I saw the rumour mill, and saw it growing.

“Then I saw the link with the drama school photo all those years before, and thought, ‘This looks shocking’. “But I didn’t lie to protect my career, he didn’t want his name in public. He wanted his own life."

The former presenter has also apologised to his This Morning co-star Holly Willoughby for lying to her about his secret relationship.

“I’ve lost my best friend. I let her down (Holly). I let that entire show down. I let the viewers down," he said.

“Holly did not know (about the romance). And she was one of the first texts that I sent, to say, ‘I am so, so sorry that I lied to you’."

He said the pair have broken all ­contact and revealed it was his paedophile brother’s imprisonment that made her distance herself from the friendship.

Schofield said he worked with the younger male colleague for a short period and had become friends.

He added: “The lies grew bigger and bigger and bigger and it was affecting both of us deeply. It got to the stage where it was out of control and for whatever cost, it had to stop.

“I have massive guilt, and regret. I’ve made a mistake, I’ve had an affair at work.”

Schofield has also since been axed as an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust.

TV executives, including from ITV, are reportedly expected to appear before MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee next week where the issue of Schofield's affair could be raised.

“I think my greatest apology must go to him," Schofield said.

“It has brought the greatest misery into his totally innocent life, his totally innocent family, his totally innocent friends. It has brought the greatest grief to them.

“I haven’t spoken to him since this s*** show kicked off, but when this was all beginning to get out of control, I paid for his lawyers to independently work on his behalf.

“I am deeply sorry and I apologise to him because I should have known better. I should have acted the way I have always acted. I should not have done it.

“I’m sorry. And I will forever be sorry. I will die sorry. I am so deeply mortified.”