Schofield's 'fragile' lover gave up promising TV career to go and work in a pub trends now

Phillip Schofield's 'fragile' former lover abandoned his promising TV career to work in a pub in a rural village in the Lake District, after being left in a 'bad way' when his affair with the fallen This Morning star ended.

Last night, friends of the young man, who landed a role at ITV meeting Schofield, claimed he was 'determined to be famous' but following the fallout from the relationship suffered 'a big downfall'.

It follows claims that ITV paid off the young star following the breakdown of the relationship. The broadcaster repeatedly declined to comment on the alleged settlement or deny it.

Schofield had met the young man when he was just 15 and still at drama school. He then asked the ex-host for a job, which led to a position as an ITV production assistant when he turned 18. Sometime after that, the affair began.

After the young man reportedly declared his love for Schofield at an awards ceremony in January 2020, he was then moved to another of the network's programme Loose Women, before eventually leaving the broadcaster.

Now photos have emerged show him working a rural bed and breakfast having turned his back on hopes of a dazzling television career amidst the scandal surrounding This Morning and Schofield.

The pub in question declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.

One friend, however, said that the young man had 'a very prominent personality' on the ITV show and the 'next step' in his career would have been a job on the production team.

He told The Telegraph: 'He should have a good career in television now, but because of this he's not.

'For someone who was determined to be famous, it's quite striking.

'He said he had found work at a remote pub B&B miles away and he hoped his family and friends would visit.'

The insider added that it had been a 'big downfall'. 

Schofield admitted on Friday to lying about the 'unwise, but not illegal' relationship with his junior colleague.  

Tonight, ITV launched an external inquiry into Schofield's relationship with the man, amid a number of cries from former workers on the channel that ITV bosses must have known about their romance.

Former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes accused the broadcaster of a 'total cover up' claiming 'those in authority had to know' about it because the man would be ferried between Schofield's £1million bolthole studios in taxis 'paid for by ITV'.

While ITV insiders told the Daily Mail that the young man had been given a payment following the end of the on-off relationship, which Schofield admitted to last Friday, calling it 'unwise but not illegal'. ITV have repeatedly declined to comment on the alleged pay-off or deny it.

But tonight, in an embarrassing climbdown for the broadcaster, an external review into the goings-on will be carried out by a barrister, in a bid to save the scandal ridden This Morning.