Phillip Schofield breaks silence on TV comeback as he reveals secret new desert island show

25 September 2024, 09:23 | Updated: 25 September 2024, 12:19

Phillip Schofield has broken his silence on his surprise TV comeback after he revealed a new show filmed on a desert island.

Schofield is making a shock return to screens just 16 months after being axed by ITV’s This Morning.

He filmed the secret project with Channel 5 as he looks to rehabilitate his image.

Called Cast Away, the show will see the 62-year-old marooned on a tropical island for 10 days.

On Wednesday morning, the axed presenter posted behind-the-scene images of the new show on Instagram with the caption: "Now you know how I spent my Summer!

"Alone for 10 days, no food, no water, no crew.

"My story of survival, both on a desert island and off it. Cast Away starts Monday on @channel5_tv & My5 at 9pm."

Channel 5 has said that Schofield being left on an island with a handful of cameras will allow him to "confront the challenges of total isolation, the forces of nature, and provides the time to battle within his own mind as he explores his own controversial story".

The three-part series will air across three nights from Sunday until Tuesday at 9pm on each of those days. Schofield said: "This is most definitely a first for me and the only thing I felt compelled to do. It appealed to me on so many levels.

"I've recently had a lot of time to think about my life, what went right and what went wrong, but I've always had the safe arms of friends and family wrapped around me. This time it's just me, no 'phone, no comforts, no crew and only lip balm as a luxury.

"I'm looking forward to exploring the island, trying to tie knots to secure my shelter and foraging and fending for myself in the wild ... with no help. Maybe I'll be Robinson Crusoe, or maybe I'll just be Tom Hank's Wilson and quietly drift off into the wild blue yonder."

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Schofield was the face of ITV's leading programmes - including This Morning and Dancing On Ice - before he resigned in 2023 over his affair with a younger colleague.

The presenter has since then stayed mainly out of the public eye, amid a review into ITV's handling of the case, before it was confirmed on Wednesday that he would return to the spotlight with a Channel 5 series.

The former ITV star will be seen surviving alone on an island off Madagascar as he opens up about two years which have left his career on the brink.

Writing on social media, Channel 5 said: "A celebrity marooned on an uninhabited tropical island for 10 days is challenged with total isolation, the forces of nature and the battle within his own mind.

A source told the Sun: "Over the past few months Phil has had quite a few offers for various things - but has steadfastly turned them all down.

"This sort of challenge has always appealed to him though and after consulting with friends and family, he decided to go for it. It's all been top secret, and has been an incredibly quick turnaround in order to keep the news quiet.

"After 42 years on telly, Phillip has learnt from some great crews and teams on how to film and tell a story.

"With 10 days to himself, no camera crews or production around, he shot some unbelievably raw footage - some of it makes for tough, emotional viewing.

"But he wanted a chance to share his story, unedited and honest, and let viewers see another side to him.

"Whilst this is a massive coup for Channel 5, and huge for Phillip, he's in no rush to come back to TV full-time yet; he remains very bruised, and is just taking some time now to weigh things up before he makes any major decisions."

Schofield quit his spot on This Morning last year after it was revealed he had an extramarital affair with a man 34 years his junior, who he had worked with on the set of the show.

Friends of Schofield have reportedly been pushing for him to make a TV comeback, although he is said to have reservations, according to The Sun.

Phillip Schofield says he has ‘lost everything’ in the wake of his secret affair

At the time of the revelation of his affair, Schofield labelled it as "unwise but not illegal."

The man in question, who has not been named officially, was hired as a runner on the ITV show aged just 19.

They had first met when Schofield's colleague was aged 15 but only had any "kind of sexual contact" was when the young man was 20.

The affair took place before Schofield publicly came out as gay and while he was still married to his wife, Stephanie Lowe.