Phillip Schofield has admitted that his choice to keep an affair with a younger coworker secret was “imprudent”, but he also wonders if it should “utterly ruin someone” in a promotional video for his upcoming TV return on a Channel 5 series.
Phillip Schofield: Cast Away, a three-segment programme, features the ex-TV host alone, stranded on an exotic island near Madagascar, being tracked by several cameras as he makes his return to the screen following a nearly two-year hiatus.
The preview includes Schofield’s words: “I’m stuck on a remote island, entirely alone, with only film equipment at my disposal, without any restriction on what I can say or discuss. This is my opportunity to reveal my version of events. Recognising my behaviour was imprudent, still, it begs the question, is it sufficient grounds for complete ruination?”
In the preview, scenes of Schofield trying to scavenge for food and survive on the island are interspersed. Schofield announced the upcoming series on Instagram this past Wednesday, more than a year after his departure from ITV in the previous May, labelling it his “survival journey, both physically on a remote island and metaphorically”.
The series, which will broadcast consecutively over three nights starting from next Monday, will follow Schofield as he adjusts to isolation for a period of ten days and nine nights. Channel 5 noted that leaving Schofield in solitude provided him the opportunity to “face the reality of complete isolation, natural elements, and a chance for inner conflict as he delves into his own contentious narrative”.
“This is unquestionably a debut experience for me, and it’s the single thing I felt an urge to undertake. It had multiple appeals for me,” said Schofield. He went on to say, “With recent ample time for introspection about my life, what was successful, and what failed, I’ve always been cushioned by the support of friends and family. However, now, it’s just me — devoid of phone, comforts, crew, with only lip balm for opulence.”
Looking forward to being stranded on an island, improvising a shelter, and surviving on my own, possibly evoking images of Robinson Crusoe or perhaps whispering away like Tom Hanks’ Wilson’s volleyball character, toward the unseen wilderness.
In the blockbuster film of 2000, Cast Away, Tom Hanks embraced the role of Charles “Chuck” Noland, a castaway in the Pacific Ocean, with only a volleyball to accompany him throughout his solitary years. In a similar setting, Robinson Crusoe recounts the adventures of an isolated sailor stranded for several decades on an island, engaging with mutineers and indigenous inhabitants.
Guy Davies, Channel 5’s commissioning editor, remarked, “This ventures beyond just a test of survival; it affords Phillip the opportunity to reflect and contemplate the past turbulent 18 months of his life, as well as delve into what transpired.”
“The audience will gain insight into Phillip’s current perspective on television and his thoughts of the future and the past. This will be Phillip Schofield as he’s never been seen before – unfiltered, emotive and heartbreakingly truthful.”
Before unveiling the plan, a brief video was shared on social media by the channel, featuring an anonymous celebrity strolling along a secluded beach, stirring curiosity about the unexplored desert island show.
In the debut season of Cast Away, comedian Ruby Wax was stranded for a week and a half on an island in the Indian Ocean, chronicling her experiences with portable cameras.
Clive Tulloh, the executive producer and managing director at Burning Bright Productions, commented, “This impactful and touching series is a reason to be eager. It brings a fresh viewpoint to survival.”
Per Channel 5 schedule, the first episode presents an eager and hopeful Phillip Schofield facing his upcoming challenge upon arrival on the beach, only to have his campsite overwhelmed by a turbulent storm overnight.
Additionally, prior to his arrival by boat, he will be equipped with survival stills by an expert. He will then be “left to be acquainted with his new solo island living, foraging for mangoes, seeking a water body and fishing.”
While living several days “devoid of considerable meals,” Schofield will also “look back on some of his life’s more difficult periods.”
Seeking sustenance, he plans to pursue crabs as his evening meal at twilight, only to lose his way through the treacherous wilderness, armed with just a headlamp and bereft of directions back to his campsite, as per the episode synopsis.
Last year, Schofield confessed to the emotional devastation he faced after admitting his transgressions, which he described as ruining “everything” he had, and leading to severe turmoil in his mental state.
A third-party review conducted last December concluded that ITV went to substantial lengths to unearth the truth concerning the speculated relationship between Schofield and a staff member from the show This Morning in 2019, but they were unable to obtain the pertinent evidence until Schofield’s acknowledgement in late May 2023.
The investigation, spearheaded by Jane Mulcahy KC and sanctioned by ITV chief Dame Carolyn McCall, saw Schofield opt out due to potential health implications.
Holly Willoughby, who shared hosting duties on This Morning with Schofield for more than ten years, bid farewell to the morning show in October 2023. She maintained her ties with ITV, however, shifting to host Dancing On Ice alongside Stephen Mulhern, succeeding her previous screen teammate. – PA