‘It’s been a heartbreaking few days’ says Phillip Schofield as he emotionally announces his mum’s death
PHILLIP Schofield has told of his anguish after his mum Pat died yesterday at 88.
Ex-ITV presenter Phillip, 62, revealed she passed away at 3pm and called it “heartbreaking”.
He shared the news on Instagram last night, paying tribute to his mother and describing her as “magnificent”.
He wrote: “Today, at 3pm and after a heartbreaking weekend, my magnificent mum decided it was time to go to her beloved [husband] Brian.
“Over three days, we held her, loved her, hugged her and said everything that needed to be said.
“She was calm, peaceful, beautiful and dignified.
“I’ll forever be proud and privileged she was my mum.
“I love you mum, forever.”
He thanked hospital medics at Treliske in Truro, Cornwall — but did not reveal the cause of Pat’s death, who had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
Phillip said: “Our eternal thanks to the paramedics, Treliske ASE and Critical Care team who have been, in the past and this weekend, my mum’s and our angels.
“Your love and care has been our saviour.”
The former This Morning host paid tribute to Pat with a montage of snaps in recent times.
She was seen on holiday, enjoying a show at The Royal Albert Hall and posing against a sunrise.
Pat was also pictured being strapped to a plane for a wing-walking experience.
Alongside a video, he wrote: “God I loved her for wanting to do this.
“One of the oldest ever ladies to wing walk.”
He was pictured hugging Pat overlooking the sea in Newquay in May 2023.
Last week, he lashed out at an unnamed trio of colleagues in his television comeback on Channel 5’s Cast Away.
They were later revealed to be Holly Willoughby and ITV bosses Martin Frizell and Emma Gormley.
Friends claim Phillip believes he was a victim of an “organised coup” to get him sacked from ITV.
He is now said to brand ex pal and co-host Holly as “The Witch” accusing her directly of “bringing me down”.
He even uses a hatted hag’s emoji when discussing her with pals if she comes up.
Phillip stepped down after an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger show runner last May.
He has previously revealed how both his mum and brother were diabetic.
Speaking to Health Awareness, Phillip said: “My brother and mother are both Type 1 diabetics and have been for the last 25 years, so it is something that as a family we are very used to.
“If either of them have a hypo (a Hypoglycaemic episode which occurs when blood glucose levels drop, usually below 4 mmol/L), we can recognise the signs and we know what to do.
“My Mum goes particularly bonkers when she goes low, so when she starts talking nonsense we know what’s happening.”
He added: “My brother was first to be diagnosed and he had an unquenchable thirst for fizzy drink, which was very unlike him.
“That continued for a few days, he was acting completely out of character.
“So we took him to the doctors and he was very quickly diagnosed.
“Then six months later my mum was diagnosed in the same way.
“My brother was very young at the time of diagnosis, probably in his late teens.
“He had always been very healthy and active.
“He is also seven years younger than me so it was a shock, as far as we were aware there was no history of the disorder in the family.”
Type 1 vs type 2 diabetes
There are two main types of diabetes, which causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high.
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce the hormone insulin.
It affects around 344,000 people in the UK.
Type 2 diabetes on the other hand is far more common, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the 4.4million adults with diabetes.
It occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells don’t react to it properly.
There are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes.
But you may be at higher risk of type 2 diabetes if you are overweight or obese, eat unhealthily, have a family history of the condition, take certain medications for a long time, have high blood pressure, and have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
People of Asian, Black African or African Caribbean origin are also at increased risk.
Source: NHS and Diabetes UK