Rupert Everett criticises coverage of Phillip Schofield's affair
Actor Rupert Everett brands coverage of Phillip Schofield’s affair with younger colleague as ‘Puritan fascism’ and swears on air while gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell insists ‘lying is not a crime’ and slams furious reaction as ‘homophobia’
- Rupert Everett has said criticsed the coverage of Phillip Schofield’s affair
- Campaigner Peter Tatchell also argued that ‘lying is not a crime’
Actor Rupert Everett has accused the media of ‘Puritan facism’ in its coverage of the revelations surrounding Phillip Schofield’s affair.
Campaigner Peter Tatchell has also criticised the press around Mr Schofield since his departure from ITV’s This Morning, accusing the coverage of ‘homophobia’.
The former presenter left his role at the show last week after he admitted he had lied about having an affair with a younger male colleague.
Speaking to Channel 4, Mr Everett said the reporting on the scandal had been ‘insane’ and argued that what Mr Schofield had done was not the business of the public.
He said: ‘What’s he done, this person? He’s married and has had an affair with someone that it’s legal to have an affair with.
Actor Rupert Everett has accused the media of ‘Puritan facism’ in its coverage of Phillip Schofield’s affair
Mr Schofield left ITV’s This Morning following revelations around his affair with a younger colleague
‘Unless there’s something else that we haven’t heard about they should drop it. It’s outrageous this kind of Puritan fascism that’s going on.’
He added: ‘It’s insane, everything about today is insane but that is another moment of insanity.’
In an interview with The Sun, published on Thursday, Schofield suggested that part of the backlash against him was due to homophobia.
He said age gaps in reported heterosexual relationships involving Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio were ‘accepted’.
Everett is voicing a new documentary on playwright, actor and director Noel Coward, who was a closeted homosexual at a time when it was illegal to be gay.
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell also argued that the coverage of Mr Schofield’s affair was homophobic.
Campaigner Peter Tatchell has also criticised the press around Mr Schofield since his shock departure from ITV’s This Morning
He told LBC: ‘Adult should never have sex with children, that is totally unacceptable. But the young man was not a child.
‘When Phillip Schofield began a sexual relationship with him he was 20 years old and was already established in his career.
‘What was wrong was Phillip Schofield lying about the relationship, but lying is not a crime.’
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