TV return is 'vital' for Phil

A PR expert tells new that Phillip Schofield's new reality show could pave the way for a spectacular comeback - but it's provoked a mixed reaction so far.

- Shelley Spadoni

It's Phillip Schofield as we've never seen him before. Barely recognisable, looking unkempt, his famous silver fox hair is overgrown and he's sporting a straggly beard as he speaks to the camera completely alone in a dramatic trailer for three-part Channel 5 reality show, Cast Away, the first episode of which hit our screens on Monday.

In the teaser, we see nothing but sand and sea behind the former This Morning star, who explained with a serious expression, "I've been cast away on a desert island, completely on my own. All I have is camera gear, and I can say whatever I want, about whatever I want." The star admitted he was filming the new show "secretly" before Channel 5's big trailer reveal, joking on his social media, "Now you know how I spent my summer." It sees the 62-year-old stranded on a tropical island off Madagascar for 10 days.

It's believed he will reflect on the events of the past two years in detail - events which at the time he admitted in a raw TV interview had left him contemplating suicide, as he confessed, "I've lost everything." It all adds up to quite an explosive return from the showbiz wilderness and could be very revealing indeed, if what Phil teases in the trailer makes good on its promise.

And, given the former golden boy of ITV's tumultuous journey since he disappeared off our screens, he could have rather a lot to get off his chest. The former This Morning presenter sensationally quit his job in 2023 after 21 years, admitting to an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a younger male runner on the show.