CAST OUT
Five most explosive ITV bombshells from Phillip Schofield’s Cast Away as TV insiders hit back
He was accused of lying by some ITV insiders
PHILLIP Schofield has finally returned to the screen after a stormy year and the TV world is buzzing.
The former This Morning legend spent ten days alone on an island where he filmed himself talking to camera for the Channel 5 show, Cast Away.
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His wife Steph, and daughters Ruby and Mollie sent him off with an emotional final dinner, before he revealed shocking details about his This Morning departure, his personal life, and his fallout with ITV.
However, some ITV insiders have accused him of lying on the show - after he blamed his brother's arrest for being sacked from This Morning.
Here are the biggest revelations from the interview:
Drowning in guilt
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Schofield admitted that he was overwhelmed with guilt following his public exit from This Morning.
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He confessed that the controversy surrounding his affair with a younger colleague consumed him emotionally.
"I was drowning," Schofield revealed, noting that the backlash was far worse than he had anticipated.
ITV fallout: No contact after he left
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The presenter didn’t hold back when discussing his fallout with ITV.
Schofield revealed that he hasn’t had any contact with the channel since he was fired.
Schofield blamed his brother for being fired from his lucrative This Morning and Dancing on Ice gigs.
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Despite years as one of ITV’s most high-profile stars, the relationship turned frosty after his scandal made headlines.
He said: "Man alive, people can be fake. They can be so fake.
"With you when it’s all going well and suddenly utter, utter betrayal.
"When the tidal wave washed through and it washed everybody away, the ones that were still standing, they’re the ones that matter.
"And I thought, how many friends do you need?
"I don’t need 200 fake friends. I’ve got 10, 15, friends I would die for, and they would die for me."
His affair wasn’t illegal
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The TV veteran addressed the ongoing talk about his affair, clarifying that, while morally wrong, it wasn’t illegal.
He said the relationship happened between "two consenting adults" and denied any improper conduct while the younger colleague worked on This Morning.
Holly Willoughby silence
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Surprisingly, Schofield admitted that his friendship with Holly Willoughby has been effectively over since the scandal broke.
Once daytime TV’s golden duo, Schofield confessed they no longer talk, with Holly keeping her distance ever since the affair hit the headlines.
Toxic work culture? Schofield says “No”
Amid reports of a "toxic" work culture at This Morning, Schofield pushed back against the allegations.
He praised the crew and behind-the-scenes staff, calling it a “wonderful place” to work.
The former host seemed baffled by claims of toxicity, despite his own highly public exit.
Struggling with Mental Health
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Schofield also revealed the emotional toll the past year has taken on his mental health. He admitted to having dark thoughts, sharing, “I didn’t see a way forward.”
He thanked his family and close friends, who have been a lifeline throughout the ordeal.
What’s next for Phillip?
As for what comes next, Schofield didn’t hint at any longer big TV comeback and said he won't return to daytime telly.
He said: "This is the last challenge… I’m not going to sit on a sofa again. I won’t do that again.
"And there are some people I won’t work for again. Some people I won’t work with again.
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"I’ve been hurt so badly by that sort of telly, and by some of the people in that sort of telly, that you get to the point where you think, ‘I don’t want to do it anymore.’"
After 40 years in the spotlight, he said he is now focusing on rebuilding his personal life.
Cast Away verdict
By Rod McPhee
OVER three nights - and three hour-long episodes - Phillip Schofield has been bearing his soul in new Channel 5 show Cast Away.
And it's basically a chance for the former This Morning host to explain the circumstances that saw him leave the show last year.
To put it mildly, he left under something of a cloud, admitting he'd had a fling with a much younger runner on the programme. But in the C5 show he presents his own versions of events - one which is at odds with the narrative that emerged at the time.
He was portrayed as a man who'd had an "unwise" affair, who'd resigned as a result and had let many of his colleagues down.
But in Cast Away Philip insists he was fired by ITV and not for the affair, but because of the bad publicity that surrounded the crimes of his paedophile brother. He summed it up best when he claimed he'd been "pushed under a bus."
After watching Cast Away what you're left with is something rather confusing, however.
Did Philip think he'd done something wrong by having the fling with the runner, or not? For example, he said he wouldn't have been slammed for it quite so much if it were a heterosexual fling.
He said he: "would have received a pat on the back for having an affair with a woman." This infers that the only thing wrong with it was that it was a same sex fling. So why does he also say: "I will be forever sorry. I screwed up. I made a mistake."
The answer, I suspect, is that the whole affair was a murky business. There were so many blurred lines around appropriateness, professionalism and honesty.
The only firm conclusion you can draw from the show is that Phillip himself isn't ENTIRELY sure to what extent He was guilty of wrongdoing.
Amid the confusion, what will the viewing public think? I suspect that this will leave those who disliked Phillip to feel even more suspicious of him.
Those who backed him, will feel reassured too. But those who still aren't sure what to think will be none-the-wiser - and I'm not sure if that's what Phillip would have wanted.
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