Phillip Schofield buys £2 million house in west London
EXCLUSIVE: Philip Schofield buys £2 million west London bachelor pad near showbusiness pals – and one of his first visitors is Holly Willoughby
- TV presenter has moved into a six bedroom property in Chiswick , west London
- He was seen leaving his new home with his co-presenter Holly Willoughby
- Schofield, 58, revealed he was gay in February and that he and his wife Steph of 27 years would separate
- His new home with large kitchen and living area is a stone’s throw from the River Thames
TV presenter Phil Schofield has splashed out on a £2 million bachelor pad in west London as he works out his ‘amicable’ £9 million divorce with his wife, MailOnline can reveal.
This Morning star Schofield, 58, was seen leaving the large semi-detached property in Chiswick today with co-presenter and close friend Holly Willoughby.
The pair emerged from the house on their bicycles to set off for a leisurely ride in bright afternoon sunshine.
The house, just a stone’s throw from The Thames, is close to his ITV colleague Declan Donnelly’s home and Ant McPartlin’s former home he shared with Lisa Armstrong.
TV presenter Phil Schofield has splashed out on a £2 million bachelor pad in west London as he works out his ‘amicable’ £9 million divorce with his wife, MailOnline can reveal. Schofield, 58, was seen leaving the large semi-detached property with co-presenter Holly Willoughby
The house, just a stone’s throw from The Thames, is close to his ITV colleague Declan Donnelly’s home and Ant McPartlin’s former home he shared with Lisa Armstrong
Schofield and Willoughby were spotted emerging from the house on their bicycles to set off for a leisurely ride in bright afternoon sunshine
Donning a cycling helmet today, the presenter was dressed in a tee-shirt and cycling shorts with his co-host in a grey tee shirt and black leggings.
Neighbours told MailOnline that they had regularly seen the presenter around the area since moving in around two weeks ago.
He has also been frequenting pubs along the River Thames, which just lies a short distance from his new home.
Locals said that Schofield is seen more on foot or bike than in his luxury Jaguar sports car which has a private number plate and is parked on the forecourt of his new home.
One neighbour said: ‘It’s caused quite a stir since he’s moved in and got people very excited. He seems like a very nice man and quite normal. You see him walking or cycling mainly and he smiles every time he goes past.’
Another neighbour added: ‘There’s quite a few famous people already living around here so Phillip Schofield moving in is not a big deal. A lot of people have been talking about it, but nobody bothers him. He’s a lovely bloke and I’m sure he’ll enjoy living in our community.
The news of the move follows a tumultuous few months for one of Britain’s most popular TV faces, following his tearful on-air ‘coming out’ on live television in February.
Neighbours told MailOnline that they had regularly seen the presenter around the area since moving in around two weeks ago. He has also been frequenting pubs along the River Thames, which just lies a short distance from his new home
Neighbours said that Schofield is seen more on foot or bike than in his luxury Jaguar sports car which has a private number plate and is parked on the forecourt of his new home
One neighbour said: ‘It’s caused quite a stir since he’s moved in and got people very excited. He seems like a very nice man and quite normal. You see him walking or cycling mainly and he smiles every time he goes past’
He is said to be keen to keep his divorce from wife of 27 years Steph as amicable as possible and maintain a good relationship with his daughters.
As well as his new property in Chiswick, he is building an annexe at the family home in Oxfordshire.
The new house on a wide residential road boasts a magnificent open-plan kitchen, three receptions, six bedrooms and a converted basement.
MailOnline understands he bought from a family who were moving to New Zealand and put the property on the market about a year ago for £2 million.
His TV pals will be close at hand, with Willoughby living just across the river in Barnes and Dec down the road.
Schofield’s first home with Steph before they married was also in Chiswick, which might also explain the move.
They met when he was 25 and had just landed a job on the BBC’s flagship Saturday morning show, Going Live, and she was a researcher.
The young couple moved in the leafy west London suburb, and married six years later.
He reportedly told a friend that he had known ‘within three weeks’ that Steph was the woman he was going to marry, and that they were deeply infatuated with each other in the early days.
This week, Schofield’s net worth was revealed to have topped £9m, increasing by £800,000 in the last year alone, thanks in part to a £60,000 deal making him the face of a gin advent calendar and his new tell-all autobiography, Life’s What You Make It comes out next month.
News of the move follows a tumultuous few months for one of Britain’s most popular TV faces, following his tearful on-air ‘coming out’ on live television in February. He is said to be keen to keep his divorce from wife of 27 years Steph (above) as amicable as possible. The couple are pictured here outside the marital home in Oxford
The new house on a wide residential road boasts a magnificent open-plan kitchen, three receptions, six bedrooms and a converted basement
MailOnline understands he bought from a family who were moving to New Zealand and put the property on the market about a year ago for £2 million. His TV pals will be close at hand, with Willoughby living just across the river in Barnes and Dec down the road
As co-director of his company, Steph is likely to be entitled to half of everything, but the couple are determined to remain friends.
A source told The Sun: ‘Phillip and Steph have had a lot of hard, painful conversations over the past ten months but remain as tight and devoted to one another as ever.
‘Steph is entitled to half. He is not disputing this — all he wants in return is her ongoing loyalty . . . and discretion, his family is his number one priority and that will never change.’
The couple co-own a plush £2.5 million country pile in Henley-on-Thames, which has been the family home for many years with their two grown-up daughters, Ruby and Mollie.
The TV star also owns an incredible holiday home in Portugal, in the Algarve and offers stunning views across the Portuguese hills.
Naturally, the villa has a private swimming pool and perfectly manicured lawns, as well as a number of al-fresco eating spots.
In September it was revealed that Phil more than doubled his salary in a year, from £803,000 to £1.73 million.
The £927,000 rise for the ITV host was revealed in newly published accounts and was largely due to Dancing On Ice’s return in January last year.
Phillip also co-owns a plush country pile located in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, which has been the family home for many years with Steph and his two grown-up daughters, Ruby and Mollie
In February, Schofield — who made his name with Gordon the Gopher on BBC’s Broom Cupboard — stunned viewers when he revealed he was gay.
He said he had wrestled with the decision, adding: ‘You never know what’s going on in someone’s seemingly perfect life.
‘So you won’t know what has been consuming me for the last few years.’
Schofield’s agent was contacted for comment.
