Phillip Schofield is poised to make his TV comeback to a mixed reception after he found himself “cancelled” little over a year ago.

The former presenter has been off screens for 16 months after he admitted to having an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a much younger male colleague. Prior to admitting the affair, Schofield denied all knowledge. Now, he’s confirmed his return to the small screen on Channel 5’s Cast Away.

Previously, Schofield had vowed to stay out of the limelight but his return was teased by Channel 5 in a trailer, announcing one celebrity who was set to tell their story would appear on the programme. Phillip’s career famously ended when he sensationally quit his role at ITV after admitting to his affair in 2023.

Phillip famously ‘fell out’ with Holly over the affair ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

In February 2020 Schofield comes out as gay after nearly 27 years of marriage to wife Stephanie, in an emotional on-air chat with co-host and long-time friend Holly Willoughby. He was shown support by both his industry peers and the general public. However, by May 2023 he admitted his affair and confirmed the relationship began while he was still with his wife leading to outrage.

Following the news of the scandal emerging, Phillip stepped down from all of his public-facing jobs – including being an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust. He quit This Morning after 21 years and also stood down from Dancing On Ice, a position he had held since 2006 until the show ended in 2014. He later returned to the ITV competition in 2018 alongside his former best friend, Holly Willoughby.

Things unravelled further for him when his talent agency YMU dropped him. Willoughby then accused Schofield of lying to her about the affair, saying his admission was “very hurtful”. ITV said the broadcaster was “not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour” when it looked into the matter in 2020.

Phillip’s wife stood by him through the scandal ( 
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Getty Images Europe)
In June 2023 The Sun published an interview with Schofield in which he said sorry to Willoughby but admitted he owed his “greatest apology” to his former lover. He reiterated that he did not “groom” the man, and that although his wife was “very, very angry” about the affair, his daughters had been “guarding” him during the fallout.

 

Breaking his silence on the Cast Away gig, Phil took to Instagram to explain his reasons for doing the show – which he films himself – posting: “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.”

In a statement, he added: “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.”