Phillip Schofield has announced his return to television 16 months after leaving ITV’s This Morning. The former presenter will star in a Channel 5 special called Cast Away, a three-part series where he is marooned on a tropical island off the coast of Madagascar.
In an Instagram post, Schofield shared that he spent 10 days alone on the island without food, water, or crew, describing the experience as a story of survival both on the island and in his personal life.
Schofield, now 62, resigned from ITV in May 2023 after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague.
At the time, he revealed that the aftermath of the affair caused him to feel like he had “lost everything” and significantly impacted his mental health.
The admission followed intense media scrutiny and a public fallout, which led to his departure from his long-standing role at This Morning.
Over the weekend, Channel 5 teased Schofield’s participation in the new series by sharing a clip of an unidentified figure walking across a remote beach.
After Schofield was revealed as the celebrity, he expressed that the project appealed to him on multiple levels.
He noted that he had recently spent a lot of time reflecting on his life, both its successes and failures, but had always relied on the support of friends and family. This time, however, he would face the challenge alone.
In relation to his affair, an external review led by Jane Mulcahy KC found that ITV made significant efforts to uncover the truth about the alleged relationship between Schofield and a runner on This Morning in 2019.
However, ITV was unable to find the necessary evidence until Schofield’s eventual admission. Schofield did not participate in the review, citing concerns about his health.
Despite the personal challenges he has faced, Schofield is now preparing to re-enter the public eye through this new survival series.
The show will offer viewers a glimpse into his time of solitude on the island, as well as his broader reflections on life after his departure from ITV. The series is scheduled to air over three consecutive nights.
With this comeback, Schofield aims to show a different side of himself, focusing on survival and self-reflection.
Cast Away will run from Monday through Wednesday on Channel 5, marking Schofield’s first major television appearance since his highly publicized exit from This Morning.
