Viewers were left stunned when a guest claiming to possess the “world’s smallest penis” featured on Wednesday’s episode of the morning programme ‘This Morning. ‘.
Michael Phillips, 38, asserts his genitals measure just 0.38 inches, considerably smaller than the average 5.5 inches. The North Carolina man recently consulted medical professionals following years of difficulties linked to his micropenis, discussing with presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard how the condition has impacted his entire life.
“I was probably in high school, and dealing with girlfriends and stuff like that, I thought I was a late bloomer, maybe one day it would be normal size,” he revealed to ITV. “But it never happened.”
When Ben asked whether he could ever raise the matter with his family, Michael, who also revealed he was adopted, acknowledged his condition was something he felt incapable of discussing.
“I kept it to myself, when I was in my teens and twenties, I was always single even though I had friends,” he explained. “They wondered why I wasn’t dating and I didn’t want to go through that.”
Whilst it wasn’t especially troublesome during his adolescent years because he avoided the subject completely, Michael revealed it has undoubtedly affected his adult relationships and outlined some of the unforeseen challenges he faces daily. “I kept it secret, I didn’t get picked on because nobody knew,” he revealed.
“I can’t go out and have a one night stand but it also affects my ability to use a restroom, my confidence. Even sitting down can be tricky with the clean up and everything. I’ve tried everything possible. You can be upfront, you can try to talk to somebody, sometimes you don’t say nothing at all.”
This Morning viewers quickly took to social media with their reactions to the segment.
“Suppose it’s easy to slag the bloke with the smallest penis. Must be horrible for him,” one user commented.
Another questioned, “Slow news day? #thismorning meet the man with the worlds smallest penis.”
A third pondered, “Why would you go on #thismorning and tell everyone you have a micropenis?” while another echoed, “Why would you make that public?”
A fourth remarked, “When Ben asked the man with the micro penis how it affects his day to day life, he replied that he can’t go on one night stands ! Is that day to day life ? I must have had a very boring life if it is.”
Some viewers criticised ITV’s editorial choices, with one asking, “Why do you guys persist in exploiting people like this?” and another querying, “Are they struggling for stories today?”
Despite the difficulties he encounters, Michael discovered inspiration to speak publicly through an unexpected moment that hit closer to home than he had imagined. “It wasn’t until joking about being a Guinness world record holder that I realised I might actually have the world’s smallest. If I could go for it, I would – I think it could help bring more awareness,” he told IGV.
However, beyond the lighthearted approach, he has utilised Instagram as a forum to address the matter more openly.
The response, he disclosed, has been remarkably encouraging. He’s formed connections with “really good people that just care about you and what you post,” which has assisted him in overcoming years of diminished self-esteem.
He also condemned society’s obsession with size, contending that men encounter unrealistic standards with practically no visibility for those who don’t conform to conventional expectations.
“There really isn’t very much representation for small sizes in media and almost zero mention of micro penis being portrayed as being a real medical condition and not a slang joke term,” he said.
