Phillip Schofield has been holding a vigil by the side of his 87-year-old mother's hospital bed after she fell ill.

The former 'This Morning' host rushed down to Cornwall, South West England, to be with Pat after she was hospitalised for several days with an unknown condition.

Schofield, 61, and Pat have always been close and it was his mother that the presenter turned to in the wake of his departure from ITV's 'This Morning' after 21 years in May following the revelation of his affair with a male runner 30 years younger than him, a relationship he "unwise but not illegal".

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Given the stress Phillip has been through in recent weeks, this couldn’t have come at a worse time for the family.

“Given that his mother was the woman Phillip turned to in his hour of need, her illness is a particularly cruel twist of fate.

“He adores his mother and the whole family is trying to remain hopeful and keep faith that Pat will make a full recovery.”

The hospitalisation comes in the wake of Phillip's departure and also the shame of his younger brother Timothy Schofield, 54, being jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing a teenage boy.

Phillip's relationship with the runner took place while he was married to Stephanie Lowe, who he divorced in 2020 and with whom he has two adult daughters Molly and Ruby.

His presenting partner Holly Willoughby is still on 'This Morning' and ITV are currently looking for his permanent replacement.

Holly, 42, has been co-hosting with several stand-in presenters including Dermot O'Leary, Alison Hammond and Josie Gibson.

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