Phillip Scofield Why all the Fuss

I just don't think he's doing the image of gay men much good by being such a stereotypical snowflake about the whole thing. Also going on about it being so hard to live with himself having that secret - how is that going to help the confidence of other gay men who don't happen to want to share their orientation with the whole world? I mean it IS our right to keep our sexuality private if we wish to do so for any reason.

Why can't people keep their private lives private? Even if he was about to be 'outed', the best stance is to make no comments at all; any news item soon becomes something to line the cat litter tray. I did find the fawning and hugs on live TV a bit much.

I've never been a fan of his and who cares? Apart from just wife and family- why should it matter to anyone else? His manner always struck me as rather effeminate but as we've all said why make a big thing of coming out unless there was something to hide

Like Marilla, I suspect a book is imminent. What does he mean by gay?
If he’s planning to be or has already been unfaithful to his wife, regardless of the gender issue then he is to be despised not patted on the back.
If he just feels he is homosexual and has been that for ages, then why not just carry on without saying anything?
Publicity-any publicity please!

How do you know all this stuff e.g. that Ruth was going to report him for bullying? I’ve always preferred Ruth and Eamon anyway. And wondered, especially at receptions and awards how they feel about being pushed into the background. I did read Amanda Holden has a problem with him too but I never believe what I read in the Daily Mail.

Spot on Willow500 !

Its his wife and daughters I feel sorry for

I was thinking the same thing Anniebach not sure what there is to applaud.

He has wasted 27 years of his wife’s life pretending to be someone he is not . So sad for her .

Agree Anniebach, disgusting in my opinion.

Oh! Wrong thread!

I'm sure the press decide when best to print these stories, to cause the most reaction and sell the most papers.

a married man of 27 years is applauded for saying he sexually
attracted to others than his wife and announcing it on tv.

I thought the same, why does he need the big statement on a private matter that affects no one? Why such media interest? The Mail led with the story, of course it must be that there's nothing else going on at the moment!

My sympathies are entirely with his wife and daughters.

Well if there’s got to be a discussion about his sexuality I ll just add this surely it’s more that he is bi sexual he has had a loving marriage for 27 years and two daughters so sex with a woman can’t have been that repugnant for him and surely if it was he’d have come out before, he seems a truthful man or
is he saying he’s only realised it later in life or is he perhaps found someone else and that makes it more necessary to be truthful but who knows and honestly who cares
I really find all the hugs and congratulations on Tv , weird, unnecessary and quite over the top I don’t see why it has to have a fanfare because ‘he’s found himself’
UPDATE
Well bradfordlass as you seem to have inside information that it was well known he was gay and as he was in NZ when he first started out at aged 19 then he’s gone right down in my estimation as that means his marriage which was 10 years later was a sham from the start

Yawn, yawn.

Bradford I don’t think we are at all bothered by the fact that he is gay. That is as acceptable here as it would appear to be in NZ.
The problem I have is that he lived a lie. I feel extremely sorry for his wife and children especially as he now has seen fit to make it so public and to extract as much sympathy as he can get for himself.

I think the media are only interested because he made a public announcement BradfordLass73. If someone courts publicity as Schofield does then it's to be expected that his actions will come under scrutiny.

He was famous here in New Zealand (and very much liked) long before he went back to the UK to seek his fortune.

It was well known he was gay but in this country, no one cares. In fact same-sex couples have all the same rights as anyone else.

It amuses me that British media are still in the dark ages and seem to find being gay something worth mentioning.

I agree with Paddyanne. I do hope Mrs Schofield and the family are ok, I really hope after 20 odd years of marriage they can survive this. The situation isn't fair on his wife, has he known all this time?

I agree suzie.

We don’t know about their marriage, their relationship, who knew what when. We don’t have to take any interest in it at all if we don’t want to. PS has done nothing illegal and how he and his wife sort out their relationship is upto them. In the White House and at No 10 we have two heterosexual men who have had a multiplicity of assorted wives and mistresses, often it appears at the same time. Fractured families, abortions a penchant for women much younger than themselves and god knows what else. What’s sad about the PS case is that we still live in a society with rampant homophobia - just a week or so ago the C of E said sex was only for straight married people. No wonder some people struggle with acknowledging to themselves their sexuality when the established church ( and other major religions )deny them the legitimacy of truly being themselves. Our esteemed leader called them tank top bum boys. Give me a gay man any day , even one who was in the so called closet for years over those two sorry excuses for ‘men’

I think its quite common for couples to truly love one another, even if one is gay.

That's one of the reasons people sometimes hide it for years, because they're devastated themselves, and know their partner will be, too.

We don't know that he lied to her.

Also, it is perfectly possible to love someone whilst not being sexually attracted to them. I suspect that a lot of marriages worked along those lines when it was illegal for men to be openly gay.

Given that the marriage lasted for 27 years, they must have found a way to make it work.

I have always enjoyed watching him on tv but now am shocked by how 2 faced he has been, his wife must be devastated that her husband of over 20 yrs is an out and out liar to her, all the "gushing" on the TV and social media and in the press saying "oh we love you Phillip , what a brave thing to do by coming out,,,,, what about feeling for his wife who he has lied to for years ,