It’s more than a year since his departure from ITV
Phillip Schofield will make his return to television as part of a new series.
Schofield hasn’t been involved in television since he resigned after admitting to lying about an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a colleague during his time as This Morning presenter.
Schofield stepped down from his role as This Morning host and quit ITV after admitting he had lied about the relationship, which he described the affair as “unwise but not illegal.”
This was followed by allegations of a “toxic culture” at This Morning during Schofield’s time as host, although an external review found there was no evidence of this.
He was also replaced as host of Dancing on Ice and The British Soap Awards.
Since then, there have been plenty of reports about whether Schofield will return to television.
And now, 16 months after he left ITV in disgrace, the presenter will be returning to screens.
It has been revealed that Schofield has been secretly filming a series for Channel 5 called Cast Away.
This will see him stranded on the coast of Madagascar for 10 days, with no crew and only a handful of cameras to document their experience.
A trailer for the show was released on Monday, and teases that it will feature “one celebrity on a desert island totally alone with one chance to finally tell his story.”
Schofield will have to fend for himself on the island, as each episode captures his “raw experience” of “both physical survival and the emotional toll of solitude,” TV Zone reports.
Cast Away aims to offer an intimate exploration of the human spirit and the limits of endurance.
Pictures from the filming show Schofield looking disheveled on the island.
Speaking about the decision to cast the former This Morning presenter for the show, 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.
“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.”
The source added that it was a “massive coup” for Channel 5, but that Schofield is “still bruised” from his ITV exit and is in no rush to fully return to TV.
Cast Away airs Monday-Wednesday from 30th September on Channel 5 in the UK.
