Sir Elton John calls reaction to Phillip Schofield’s affair ‘totally homophobic’ saying ‘if it was a straight guy in a fling with a young woman, it wouldn’t even make the papers’

• Sir Elton says a straight relationship with a similar age gap wouldn’t cause furore

The furore surrounding Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger This Morning runner is ‘totally homophobic’, Sir Elton John has claimed.

The musician, 76, said in an interview with the Radio Times that a heterosexual relationship with a similar age gap would not have attracted such negative coverage.

Sir Elton made the comments as he denounced the status of LGBT+ rights and individuals in America, which he compared to the treatment of the former ITV star. 

He alleged that had the affair involved a ‘straight guy in a fling with a young woman’ that details of the relationship ‘wouldn’t even make the papers’.

Mr Schofield, 61, resigned from ITV last month and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a younger colleague.

The presenter also alleged that homophobia had motivated criticism towards him, contrasting responses to his affair and Leonardo DiCaprio’s relationships with younger women. 

Sir Elton John has claimed the furore surrounding Phillip Schofield’s affair with a younger This Morning runner is ‘totally homophobic’. The musician is pictured during a concert at the Palau Sant Jordi arena in Barcelona on May 22

Sir Elton alleged that had Mr Schofield’s affair involved a ‘straight guy in a fling with a young woman’ that details of the relationship ‘wouldn’t even make the papers’. Phil Schofield, Holly Willoughby and his younger lover are pictured on the This Morning sofa

Sir Elton, famous for hits including Your Song and Candle In The Wind, said: ‘Well, it’s all going pear-shaped in America. There’s violence, (discriminatory) laws enacted in Florida, which are disgraceful.

‘There’s a law now that, if you visit a doctor in Florida, they can refuse to treat you if you’re gay, which I find just unbelievable.

‘We seem to be going backwards. And that spreads. It’s like a virus that the LGBTQ+ movement is suffering.’

He added: ‘I don’t like it at all. It’s a growing swell of anger and homophobia that’s around America.

‘I don’t know if it’s around Britain because I haven’t been here that much. But I feel that the Phillip Schofield thing has been totally homophobic.

‘If it was a straight guy in a fling with a young woman, it wouldn’t even make the papers.’

Phillip Schofield (pictured) resigned from ITV last month. He also alleged homophobia had a part to play in the negative response to the relationship – after he was accused of grooming his former flame

During an interview with the BBC’s Amol Rajan, Mr Schofield, 61, said he had ‘lost everything’ after admitting to the affair, and that the fallout had had a ‘catastrophic effect’ on his mind.

Mr Schofield alleged homophobia had a part to play in the negative response to the relationship – after he was accused of grooming his former flame.

He also insisted that if the relationship had been heterosexual there would be much more acceptance and even pointed to Titanic star Mr DiCaprio, who is famed for his penchant for dating significantly younger women. 

Mr Schofield said: ‘Attraction is attraction. It’s no different in the gay world as it is in the heterosexual world or in the lesbian world.

‘There shouldn’t be a difference. This is where homophobia comes in.

‘We did first meet when he was 15, I visited the drama school (he attended).

‘So, yeah, there’s a difference. It’s accepted by Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s not accepted if it’s in the gay world.’

Sir Elton made the comments in an interview with the Radio Times as he denounced the status of LGBT+ rights and individuals in America, which he compared to the treatment of the former ITV star

Sir Elton, who will headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival this month with a performance that will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC Radio 2 on June 25, joins other high-profile figures in criticising the backlash against Mr Schofield.

LGBT+ rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said earlier this month that the ‘trashing’ of Schofield had ‘more than a whiff of homophobia’, in a statement shared with the PA news agency.

Mr Tatchell called the public response a ‘rank double standard’, while actor Rupert Everett described media coverage as ‘insane’.

Sir Elton’s full interview is in the Radio Times, out now.

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