Elton John has claimed the response to the recent Phillip Schofield scandal was “totally homophobic”, while also saying homophobia was spreading “like a virus”.
In an interview with the Radio Times ahead of his farewell appearance at Glastonbury this weekend, Sir Elton spoke about Schofield, who recently left ITV’s This Morning after admitting to an affair with a young, male colleague.
“I feel that the Phillip Schofield thing has been totally homophobic,” he said. “If it was a straight guy in a fling with a young woman, it wouldn’t even make the papers.”
Schofield, when leaving the show he had co-hosted since 2002, described the relationship as “unwise but not illegal”. It attracted significant media attention, and Schofield said: “It’s accepted by Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s not accepted if it’s in the gay world.”
Phillip Schofield attends Pride in London 2022 with former This Morning colleague Alison Hammond. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)
Sir Elton likened the treatment Schofield has faced to what he called the “pear-shaped” and “disgraceful” situation of LGBTQ+ rights America. “There’s violence, [discriminatory] laws enacted in Florida, which are disgraceful,” he said, likely referring Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ recent, so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. Hate, Sir Elton said, was spreading “like a virus”.
The comments regarding Schofield echo those of campaigner Peter Tatchell and actor Rupert Everett. Tatchell said the reaction to the Schofield affair had “more than a whiff of homophobia”. Everett described it as “insane”.
