Alison Hammond breaks down in tears on This Morning over Phillip Schofield

By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

This Morning presenter Alison Hammond became emotional live on air as she spoke about her former colleague Phillip Schofield.

Hammond, who has been co-hosting This Morning with Dermot O’Leary this week, said she was finding the situation “really painful” after Schofield confessed to an affair with a young colleague.

The TV personality said she “still loves” Schofield but “what he’s done is wrong”.

It comes after Schofield gave his first interviews following his departure from ITV, in which the 61-year-old said he had “lost everything” and spoke about the “catastrophic effect” on his mind.

Appearing tearful, Hammond said: “I’m finding it really painful.

“I loved Phillip Schofield; it’s weird because I still love Phillip Schofield, however, what he’s done is wrong.

“He’s admitted it, he’s said sorry.

“As a family, we’re all really struggling to process everything – I never know what to say.

“I remember what my mum said, my mum always said ‘use your Bible as your satnav in life (Alison)’, and in the Bible it says ‘he without sin, casts the first stone’.

“I just don’t want to say anything bad because I’m in conflict.”

Regular guest Gyles Brandreth called it a “human story but with public implications”.

He added: “We are dealing with a human being that all of us here have known and liked over many years. So it makes it difficult for us.”

O’Leary also said: “I think so many of us are (conflicted).”

On Monday, the presenter had appeared to reference the allegations of toxicity behind the scenes of the show.

He said: “We all know we happen to be in the news at the moment and of course we appreciate that, but just from both of us, the whole team here, the crew, the guys downstairs, we love making this show for all of you.”

Co-host Hammond added: “We really do and that’s exactly what we are going to do, we are going to continue to do that.”