Sharon Osbourne has praised Phillip Schofield as "extremely brave" after he came out as gay live on TV.

Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Osbourne

The 67-year-old star believes the "secret" would have "probably ended up killing him", and she heaped praise on his "magnificent" wife Steph Lowe, who he has been married to since 1993.

Speaking on 'Good Morning Britain' from Los Angeles, Sharon said: "I thought he was extremely brave. You think about it, he could have carried on the rest of his life with this secret that would have probably ended up killing him.

"I think he's very brave and I think his wife must be a magnificent woman."

Sharon's daughter Kelly admitted she broke down in tears as she watched Phil come out on 'This Morning' last week.

She added: "I think it's beautiful to see someone finally living their truth. I think any time, whatever the situation is, when you feel like you can't be who you really are, it's a hard place to be.

"To see him come out with his best friend and to see it being done so lovingly on telly ... I watched it and I cried.

"You just see a weight being lifted off somebody's shoulders and truth is beauty. I think it's going to help so many people in his situation.

"I love Phillip Schofield when I thought he was straight and I love him now he's gay."

'GMB' co-hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid both sent love to him and his family.

Piers said: "I have known him a long time, I've written a book about him and missed the story actually!

"But listen, in the end all that really matters are him and his family."

Susanna added: "It was such an impressive statement, so love to him and his family."

Dame Joan Collins was also on the show, which was beamed live from LA following the Oscars, and she claimed everyone who knew Phil "knew he was gay".

She said: "I thought, why does he have to do that? It seems like he was living a fine life. Everyone who knew him knew he was gay. Why does he want to tell everybody and confess, as it were?

"We still take for granted these days that people are gay, lesbian or trans, or whatever. It seems a little odd to make a big pronounced statement..."

But Piers quickly moved the conversation on.

Just minutes before his 'This Morning' announcement last week, Phil shared a statement on his social media channels.

Part of it read: "You never know what's going on in someone's seemingly perfect life, what issues they are struggling with, or the state of their wellbeing - and so you won't know what has been consuming for the last few years. With the strength and support of my wife and my daughters, I have been coming to terms with the fact that I am gay."

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