Philip Schofield was left 'shaking with nerves' backstage after coming out, one of his TV colleagues has revealed.
It's been over a month since Phillip revealed he was gay, firstly with a candid post on his Instagram and then in a touching interview with close friend Holly Willoughby live on This Morning.
His announcement prompted a huge number of well wishes from many of his colleagues, celebrity friends and many fans and days later on Dancing on Ice, show judge Ashley Banjo paid tribute to him , stopping the live show to tell Phillip he was "an absolute legend" adding "no more so than this week."
And now, days ahead of this year's Dancing on Ice final, Ashley has talked about how Phillip was backstage in the wake of his very public announcement about his sexuality.
BGT champion Ashley told The Sun : "I didn't plan to make him cry but I said what I felt in the moment. It just felt right.
"Before the show he was shaking with nerves backstage. It felt right to tell him, 'It's all good, let's get on with it'."
Coming out on his Instagram, Phillip wrote: "This is something that has caused many heart-breaking conversations at home.
"My family have held me so close: they have tried to cheer me up, to smother me with kindness and love, despite their own confusion.
"Yet still I can't sleep and there have been some very dark moments."
Ashley's Diversity team-mate Perri Kiely will compete against former Eastenders actor Joe Swash and Paralympic champion Libby Clegg in Sunday's final.
