S Poddar
Channel 5’s survival series Cast Away has signed on the disgraced former ITV host to play himself, left stranded off the coast of Madagascar.
Phillip Schofield is returning to our screens 16 months after quitting his hosting job on ITV’s This Morning. The 62-year-old anchor has been fired from the daytime show, which he anchored for close to two decades, following the exposé of an affair that the presenter described as “unwise, but not illegal.” Now, Schofield is moving to a Channel 5 special titled Cast Away, where the celebrity is left to face the bitter truth of being marooned on a remote island some distance off Madagascar for close to two weeks. He will fight the forces of nature with his mind pre-occupied with the story of his own controversial journey as he battles within his mind while exploring his own story,” a representative for the channel said.
According to Channel 5, Schofield’s new venture will test the strength of his will because he had to live through complete isolation with only a few cameras documentary for his experience. The three-part series will be broadcast back-to-back from Monday to Wednesday evenings at 9 p.m. Schofield said the passion for this project has been “a first for me” and something he felt “compelled to do.” “I’ve had a lot of time lately to reflect on my life, on what went right and what went wrong, but I’ve always had the safety net of friends and family around me,” he said.
This time, it’s only me—no phone, no crew, no comforts, and my only luxury is lip balm.” He told this magazine that he was excited about exploring the island, building a shelter, and fighting for life, likening this experience to characters like Robinson Crusoe or even Wilson, the volleyball, from Cast Away. His return to television comes after turning down several offers from both ITV and the BBC. In an exclusive for The Sun, which broke Schofield’s infidelity claims last year, Schofield opted to do Channel 5’s survival program after others came with more cash.
This weekend, the channel promoted a clip, posted on social media, which featured a celebrity walking along a deserted beach, widely believed to be Schofield, sparking much excitement from the fans concerning the new show. The phototherapy caption described this and even gave an inclination of the theme: “Stranded on an isolated tropical island off the coast of Madagascar for 10 days, where they are faced with absolute isolation, the power of nature, and the struggle within their own mind.”. Since leaving This Morning, Schofield’s private and public life has been stretched over the breach in relations, which led to his resignation. His long-time co-host left the programme five months earlier, however, and continues to host another flagship programme, Dancing on Ice on ITV. Schofield has since been replaced by Stephen Mulhern. In June 2023, ITV announced an independent investigation into the affair and the way the network dealt with it.
Investigations were done by Jane Mulcahy KC by questioning 48; those who featured included present and former employees at ITV, and members of the This Morning team.
The probe looked into the management system applied at ITV concerning the rumors about Schofield’s alleged relationship with the younger running runner, a colleague, for This Morning. Schofield, one of those suspected, declined to participate in the investigation on health grounds, yet his report went ahead to claim his mentorship had probably hastened the young colleague’s fast-track developing career. However, neither the management of ITV, the top echelon of the management, nor the senior staff of that show were aware of the affair until Schofield’s public statement. The junior staff member never told anyone about the relationship. Schofield presented his side on the scandal in a BBC interview close to the end of June 2023 following claims that the illicit affair took place while he was still married to Stephanie Lowe for 30 years. He talked candidly about the emotional impact the scandal made on him and told to the media, “I have brought myself down. I am done. I have to talk about television in the past tense, which breaks my heart.”. When asked what he had to say to the man with whom he’d had his affair, Schofield offered an apology. “I’d say to everyone I lied to, I am desperately sorry, but principally I’d like to apologize to him. I have caused you so much pain, and I’ll never forgive myself.”
Setting up his camera outside the studio where he hosts a daily daytime show, Schofield now heads far out into the wilderness. He leaves behind the familiar studio setting of day-time TV and his insecurities are going to be forced into the face of both the natural world and his inner self. Viewers fascinated by his personal life will see him step into this unknown situation.
