Schofield Cast Away Channel 5

Unless the alleged culprit is a professional dancer on BBC show, he is innocent, she is mentally ill

And not just child sexual abuse - but sexual abuse and violence against women in general. When you see comments on GN like 'why didn't they report it earlier', 'why didn't they just leave their job' and so on, it makes you wonder what progress we've really made in tackling these issues.

It’s easier to cry witch-hunt than accept the extent of the child sexual abuse and exploitation that lives amongst us

Galaxy

I admire your persistence Doodledog, hearing exactly the same arguments that were put forward about HE (before the criminal convictions - when the discussion was 'only' about his 'relationship' with a 17 year old) makes me want to give up.

I know. It's depressing. It happens whenever a woman speaks out about being abused (eg Mohammed Al Fayed or Russell Brand) and whenever there is a suggestion that children/young people have been similarly treated (eg Prince Andrew or Huw Edwards). I am never clear about what evidence would be accepted as sufficient by those who cry 'witchhunt'. They never say.

Rekarie

Kate1949

I haven't watched this programme but it is in the papers today that PS said in the one last night that he was 'let go' from ITV because of the bad publicity from his brother's paedophile convictions.

I did watch and that's correct.

Not sure if it's fair/legal to sack someone because of a sibling's crime.

I think you'll find that he wasn't sacked for his sibling's crime but because he didn't do the right thing when he found out just telling his brother to stop. That isn't a good look for ITV and I dare say that there was a clause in his contract about bringing the organisation into disrepute.
If you add everything up, the unwise affair, his lying and his brother, it is pretty appalling PR wise and a star's worth is about his image in the long run.

Anniebach

Claiming he groomed a young boy isn’t saying he is guilty ?

How do you define grooming a young boy? I said that he befriended him (and others) at a young age, and that the affair started when he was of age. Is that grooming? There is nothing illegal there, but some would say that it was morally dubious behaviour.

People (rightly) do not get sacked for having affairs, or for being gay. The suggestion that this was about moralising about an extra-marital affair or underpinned by homophobia is ridiculous.

As for innocent until proved guilty - that applies in law, but Schofield was not found guilty of anything as he wasn't charged with anything. Can you be innocent of something with which you haven't been charged? Genuine question - I have no idea.

Anyway, he was not sacked for the affair.

I admire your persistence Doodledog, hearing exactly the same arguments that were put forward about HE (before the criminal convictions - when the discussion was 'only' about his 'relationship' with a 17 year old) makes me want to give up.

He is a dirty man. In my opinion.

coolgranny12

he groomed the young boy. he's a paedophile. he shouldn't be on our screens. he had his eyes on him and as soon as he was 'legal' he jumped at the oppotunity

FGS do you know what a paedophile is? I’m sick to death of everyone being described as either a paedophile or a narcissist. I’m not a supporter of PS but he’s done nothing to warrant being labelled a paedophile.

Exactly, Kate1949. Who could ever believe anything which came out of his mouth now? And I think his decision to make the Cast Away show has backfired on him spectacularly, by all accounts.

Iam64

He wasn’t sacked - he resigned

He was sacked but they had the good grace to allow him to say he’d resigned. Eamonn Holmes said at the time he was sacked and PS confirmed that on tv whilst on the island. He basically said it was because of his brother’s crimes and the bad publicity it brought to This Morning.

If true, then unfair but there could be more to it.

Well we'll probably never know. The trouble is, when someone is a self confessed liar, it's hard to believe anything they say.

Claiming he groomed a young boy isn’t saying he is guilty ?

Nobody is saying he's guilty of anything, apart from being a liar (by his own admission).

Innocent until proven guilty doesn’t apply on this forum ,

What about innocent unless proved guilty.

As someone said earlier on this thread, the balance of power was wrong.

he groomed the young boy. he's a paedophile. he shouldn't be on our screens. he had his eyes on him and as soon as he was 'legal' he jumped at the oppotunity

Again, summed up perfectly Doodledog.

Yes I read that too Doodle. He is looking for sympathy.

Anniebach

He is certainly being tried again here , why was he sacked ?

I refer you back to my post of 13:02 yesterday:
Because he met the man he 'had an affair' with when the boy was 15. He befriended him at that age although the 'affair' apparently began when he was over the age of consent. Other boys of a similar age have also been befriended by Schofield.

Because the boy was given a large sum of money to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which does not suggest that there was nothing to hide.

Because his leaving ITV was not 'just' because of the affair - as well as the above Schofield hid the fact that he knew that his brother was involved in a very abusive 'relationship' with an underage boy - so abusive that he got a 12 year prison sentence - yet did nothing to protect the boy (who was known to PS).

Because his behaviour towards colleagues and guests on This Morning was so egregious that nobody has spoken up for him or made an attempt to work with him since his fall from grace.

Because the way the agent system works makes it difficult for people to speak out about what they know - powerful agencies such as the one who represented PS at the time can ensure that nobody on their books works with 'whistleblowers', which protects their clients from exposure whilst they are represented by the agency, but PS was dropped by his, and is now managed by his daughter (which could very conceivably explain the 'family support' in the programme). Without the protection of a powerful agent, PS, This Morning, and ITV were vulnerable to further damaging revelations.

Is that enough? He was not forced to leave because he had an affair, and there was no homophobia involved. His 'coming out' as gay and as having had an extra-marital affair resulted in support from the public, as it was manipulated to portray him as 'brave' and troubled. Had it not been for all the other factors (which were entirely of his own making) he would probably have pulled it off, even if he left the family show and concentrated on game shows and more general presenting.

He was the architect of his own misfortune, and the whinging on the programme shows that he accepts no responsibility for that.

I will add that according to Schofield himself on the programme last night he was told by his agent that he had been sacked, and that he said he would resign as it would be 'neater'.

I agree Rekarie but maybe they were looking for an excuse due to PS's other misdemeanors.

Not according to what he said last night Annie. He said his agent rang him to say ITV were letting him go. Maybe he initially said he resigned to save face. He's obviously not a very honest man is he? Nobody wants to admit to being sacked I suppose.

Kate1949

I haven't watched this programme but it is in the papers today that PS said in the one last night that he was 'let go' from ITV because of the bad publicity from his brother's paedophile convictions.

I did watch and that's correct.

Not sure if it's fair/legal to sack someone because of a sibling's crime.

Iam64 Thu 03-Oct-24 10:07:25
He wasn’t sacked - he resigned

He said ‘I quite all work with ITV’, he spoke the truth ?

I haven't watched this programme but it is in the papers today that PS said in the one last night that he was 'let go' from ITV because of the bad publicity from his brother's paedophile convictions.