Phillip Schofield has been left heartbroken by the death of his dad.

Brian Schofield passed away at the age of 72 last week after battling heart disease.

He had been at West London’s Royal Brompton Hospital since February.

‘It has been the longest, toughest, saddest week of our lives, made more heartbreaking because we are such a close family,’ the TV star tells The Sun. ‘If I can be half the man he was I’ll consider that an achievement.’

Despite his loss, brave Phillip, 45, still fronted the British Soap Awards with Fern Britton, 50 – because he says his dad would have wanted him to.