Emmerdale axes Phillip Schofield from special This Morning episode as baffled fans ask ‘did he just get cut?!’
Watch above as all trace of the star was removed from the broadcast following his resignation from ITV
EMMERDALE bosses have sensationally scrubbed Phillip Schofield from an episode of classic Emmerdale in which he made a forgotten cameo.
The former This Morning star appeared on a 2005 episode of the ITV soap opera alongside former co-host Fern Britton when they interviewed Alan Turner in character.
However, when the episode was re-broadcast last week and uploaded to ITVX, show chiefs brutally axed all of his scenes and re-edited the episode to ensure he was completely out of shot as a result of his recent This Morning scandals.
On the episode, which first broadcast in January 2005, Phillip and Fern appeared as themselves as they interviewed Alan about the disappearance of his then-partner, Shelley Williams.
During the original broadcast, Phillip could be seen wearing a purple shirt as he sat next to Fern on the sofa.
However, all trace of him has now been wiped with the episode instead featuring close-ups of just Fern.
A TV monitor can also be seen now strategically placed in front of where Phillip was sat on the sofa.
Throughout the episode, the Dales residents can be seen watching Alan’s interview on their TV screens.
Once again, the scenes have been cleverly re-edited to focus purely on Fern with just a hint of Phillip’s arm being left in view.
Commenting on Phillip’s axing, one fan shared an image of the original unedited scene as they said: “Erm did Phillip Schofield just get cut out of #ClassicEmmerdale?
“Their 2005 guest appearance just aired on ITV3 and all of the shots were close up on Fern and yet there’s this image?”
Another highlighted how any of Phillip’s dialogue was also taken out following his resignation from ITV.
They penned: “I wondered how they’d get round having #philipschofield on. But I’m really impressed with the clever editing. Notice how they cut to the break after Fern asked the first question though. Schofield must have spoken after & they decided best not to show it at all.”
The Sun has contacted a spokesperson for Emmerdale for comment.
Phillip resigned from ITV after admitting to lying about an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a junior member of staff.
It came following weeks of intense speculation surrounding the star which saw him walk away from This Morning.
Schofield says that his colleague was 20 years old when he first had any kind of sexual contact with him – which happened a total of five or six times.
According to Schofield, the first romantic encounter between him and the man took place in his ITV dressing room and was “consensual”.
The axing of his fleeting Emmerdale appearances comes as it was claimed he paid his former lover hush money as part of a non-disclosure agreement deal.
Phillip’s arrangement with his ex now mutually gags both Phillip and the man, who is 34 years his junior, from ever talking about their relationship.
It prevents him from talking about the scandal that brought the presenter’s decades-long TV career to an ignominious end last year.
Schofield, 61, has been keeping a low profile since admitting to the affair and lying to his ITV employers in an extraordinary mea culpa last May.
A representative for Schofield confirmed a deal was signed last year, including payment to compensate the man for losses suffered, the Mail on Sunday reported.
