Phillip Schofield has said he is “not a groomer” as he gave his first interviews since he resigned from ITV over an affair with a much younger colleague.

The disgraced TV presenter said he is “utterly broken and ashamed” over the dalliance he had with the younger man, but denies grooming him.

He resigned from ITV last week and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” relationship.

The 61-year-old presenter told The Sun in a filmed interview: “I did not, I did not (groom him).

“There are accusations of all sorts of things. It never came across that way because we’d become mates. I don’t know about that.”