Phillip Schofield has enjoyed a longer career on the small screen than most – 34 years to be precise. Many may put that down to his fantastic relationship with his 'TV wife' Holly Willoughby, who he co-hosts This Morning and Dancing on Ice with. Their close bond, while often documented on social media, was made all the more clear on Friday when Phillip spoke to his best friend in his first TV interview after bravely coming out as gay, with the support of his wife and two daughters. Phillip's revelation doesn't change how his fans feel about him though, with many flooding social media with messages of love, support and acceptance. Plenty have even followed the 57-year-old's career since the beginning – but how exactly did Phillip become one of the best-loved and most recognised faces on British TV? Keep reading to find out all about his television career.
WATCH: Phillip Schofield reveals he is gay
Phillip Schofield's TV debut
© Photo: PAThe Dancing on Ice host first started at rival channel BBC One as a bookings clerk. But aged 19 he moved with his family to New Zealand where he made his television debut as the initial presenter of the youth music programme Shazam! He also spent two years working for the Auckland-based station Radio Hauraki. The BBC was never far from his mind though, as he previously revealed that he used to write many letters to the broadcasting giant, he once said: "I never had a thought about pursuing another career."
Phillip Schofield's rise to stardom
© Photo: PAPhillip gained some recognition in 1985 when he teamed up with infamous puppet Gordon The Gopher to present links for Children's BBC in what was known as the 'Broom Cupboard', a challenge that would help him in his later TV work. He previously said: "If you can introduce Newsround with a fluffy gopher squeaking next to you, you can handle anything." He certainly can, as he proved on This Morning this week when an alpaca started spitting in his face!
Phillip Schofield's TV credits
© Photo: Getty ImagesBy September 1987, Phillip had landed a presenter role on the children's Saturday morning magazine show Going Live! which he presented until April 1993. He then moved to adult-orientated television with various programmes for ITV, such as Schofield's Quest, Schofield's TV Gold and Ten Ball. From 1994 to 1997, he presented Talking Telephone Numbers for five series and in 1996 he hosted a show about remarkable coincidences called One in a Million. At the same time, Phillip was also enjoying a successful career on the West End stage, starring in musicals such as Dr Doolittle and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPhillip's other notable TV work includes All Star Mr & Mrs, The Cube and perhaps his second biggest ITV hit, Dancing on Ice. Phil originally presented the ice-skating series with Holly from 2006 until 2011 and then with Christine Lampard from 2012 until 2014. It was announced in the summer of 2013 that Dancing on Ice was to come to an end following the 2014 series. However, Phillip and Holly returned to present the show in 2018 following ITV's decision to reboot the series after four years away.
MORE: Phillip Schofield's daughter Molly breaks her silence after he reveals he is gay
Phillip Schofield's breakthrough
© Photo: RexIn 2002, Phillip scored the plum role of co-presenting This Morning following John Leslie's firing. But it wasn't until 2009 that he was joined by Holly, having first presented the magazine show with Fern Britton. Holly replaced Fern, and the rest, as they say, is history. In July 2006, he signed an exclusive two-year contract with ITV, reported to have been worth £5 million. The exclusive deal also meant he could no longer present BBC quiz show Test the Nation, which he hosted since 2002, and was replaced by Danny Wallace.
MORE: Phillip Schofield defends Eamonn Holmes after he's criticised for inappropriate hot tub joke
Phillip Schofield's net worth
© Photo: RexWith such an impressive TV career, it's no wonder Phillip is estimated to be worth an impressive £9.8million, reportedly earning £600,000 a year just for fronting This Morning. He also has several advertising and corporate deals with companies such as We Buy Any Car and Waitrose, which reportedly nets him a tidy take-home of more than £1.7 million a year. We've no doubt Phillip's career will continue to soar and he'll be on our TV screens for years to come.
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