Phillip Schofield says he ‘doesn’t care anymore’ as he went on a ‘mad rant’ during his return to TV on survival show Cast Away. 

Schofield, 62, sits around a blazing log fire on Channel 5 survival show where he says ‘this is me having my say as I bow out’.

Looking dishevelled, he says: ‘I’ll be slammed for this, “Phillip Schofield mad rant [shakes his head]”. But the thing is, I don’t care anymore. I don’t care. This is me having my say as I bow out.’

The show marks a return to TV for Schofield just 16 months since he left ITV and This Morning, which he hosted for 21 years, after admitting he had an ‘unwise but not illegal’ fling with a junior male colleague.

The disgraced star will discuss his bitter parting of ways with the channel while fending for himself for 10 days on a remote island paradise, located off the coast of Madagascar.

Phillip Schofield says he 'doesn't care anymore' as he ranted about the claims of toxicity on This Morning

Phillip Schofield says he ‘doesn’t care anymore’ as he ranted about the claims of toxicity on This Morning

Schofield returns to TV in Channel 5 show Cast Away (pictured) just 16 months after he left ITV and This Morning, which he hosted for 21 years
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Schofield returns to TV in Channel 5 show Cast Away (pictured) just 16 months after he left ITV and This Morning, which he hosted for 21 years

During the second episode of the three-part show, which starts on Monday, addressed claims of toxicity on the ITV show as ‘utter b****cks’.

‘I found out after I left that there are a few people in there that might be a little bit toxic,’ he added.

‘I never saw it … when (you’re) on the telly, you don’t see stuff like that, you’re protected from it, people don’t tell you, so I had no clue.’

Schofield says the ‘toxicity tank is nearly empty’ after spending ‘so much self-analysis over the past few years. I’ve sort of analysed my head and myself and analysed everything’.

He also said that morning TV has a lot of ‘amazing’ people, before taking aim at what he called ‘three sh**s’.

He called two of them cowards – one for not defending him over ‘queuegate’, and the second for not ‘stepping up’ over another matter, which he did not clarify.

The final person, he said, was ‘just brand-orientated’.

Along with his then co-host Holly Willoughby, Schofield faced a backlash over claims the pair skipped the queue for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s lying in state.

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During the second episode of the three-part show, which starts on Monday, addressed claims of toxicity on the ITV show as ‘utter b****cks’ (pictured with former co-star Holly Willoughby)

The disgraced star will discuss his bitter parting of ways with the channel while fending for himself for 10 days on a remote island paradise, located off the coast of Madagascar
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The disgraced star will discuss his bitter parting of ways with the channel while fending for himself for 10 days on a remote island paradise, located off the coast of Madagascar

Schofield says the 'toxicity tank is nearly empty' after spending 'so much self-analysis over the past few years. I've sort of analysed my head and myself and analysed everything'
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Schofield says the ‘toxicity tank is nearly empty’ after spending ‘so much self-analysis over the past few years. I’ve sort of analysed my head and myself and analysed everything’

He also said that morning TV has a lot of 'amazing' people, before taking aim at what he called 'three sh**s'
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He also said that morning TV has a lot of ‘amazing’ people, before taking aim at what he called ‘three sh**s’

Schofield was also upset that there was ‘absolutely no loyalty shown’ to him during the furore over his affair, despite his 20-plus years on This Morning, and added: ‘I know what I did was unwise, not sensible, but is it enough to absolutely destroy someone, literally destroy someone?’

When he was dropped by his talent agency YMU on the same day he resigned from ITV after more than three decades with the company, he says he was ‘suicidal’.

Schofield added: ‘They sent me what looked like a cut and pasted text, (saying) “this time we’ll have to let you go”.’

The presenter says he knows people will claim he is having a ‘mad rant’, but he does not ‘care any more’ as he has ‘nothing to lose’.

He added: ‘They’ve taken pretty much everything – reputation, dignity, legacy, everything – anyway. I’m not bleating, I’m just getting it off my chest.’

The disgraced presenter revealed this week he was taking part in his own survival show just 16 months on from leaving This Morning after admitting to having an ‘unwise but not illegal’ fling with a junior male colleague.

Schofield is said to have turned down a selection of big money TV offers before choosing to sign up for Cast Away – which he believes will allow him to share his story in an ‘unedited and honest’ way.

He called two of them cowards - one for not defending him over 'queuegate', and the second for not 'stepping up' over another matter, which he did not clarify
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He called two of them cowards – one for not defending him over ‘queuegate’, and the second for not ‘stepping up’ over another matter, which he did not clarify

The presenter says he knows people will claim he is having a 'mad rant', but he does not 'care any more' as he has 'nothing to lose'
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The presenter says he knows people will claim he is having a ‘mad rant’, but he does not ‘care any more’ as he has ‘nothing to lose’

An external review, carried out by Jane Mulcahy KC on behalf of ITV found the channel made ‘considerable efforts’ to find out the truth about an alleged affair between Schofield and a runner in 2019, but was not able to find evidence about the rumours.

Schofield ‘reluctantly declined’ to take part in the probe because of ‘the risk to his health’, the report in December 2023 said.

Ms Mulcahy said that for the period she reviewed, she could not find evidence of a ‘toxic’ culture, and urged ITV to help junior employees who think speaking out will have a ‘detrimental impact on their careers’.