‘I felt compelled to do it’ says Phillip Schofield as he reveals real reason behind TV comeback
TROUBLED TV presenter PHILLIP Schofield says he felt “compelled” to make his new Channel 5 show having had: “a lot of time to think about my life – what went right and what went wrong.”
The former This Morning presenter – who quit the programme after having had a fling with much younger runner – also released new images of him on the desert island where he’ll be based for the documentary.
Phillip, 62, is expected to reveal more details of his private life and the past 16 turbulent months on the three-parter, which runs on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
He said: “This is most definitely a first for me and the only thing I felt compelled to do. It appealed to me on so many levels.
“I’ve recently had a lot of time to think about my life, what went right and what went wrong, but I’ve always had the safe arms of friends and family wrapped around me.
“This time it’s just me, no ‘phone, no comforts, no crew and only lip balm as a luxury. I’m looking forward to exploring the island, trying to tie knots to secure my shelter and foraging and fending for myself in the wild … with no help.
“Maybe I’ll be Robinson Crusoe, or maybe I’ll just be Tom Hank’s Wilson and quietly drift off into the wild blue yonder!!”
Channel 5 have confirmed the programme, which will run to an hour an episode, will air on Monday at 9pm. It features Phillip cast away for ten days and nine night on a remote, unpopulated island off the coast of Madagascar.
He will only have cameras with him and while in isolation Channel 5 bosses say it: “provides the time to battle within his own mind as he explores his own controversial story.”
Phillip quit This Morning last May and ever since has been at the centre of intense speculation whether he’d make a return to TV, and what channel or streamer the comeback might be with.
Channel 5 Commissioning Editor, Guy Davies, says: “This isn’t just a survival challenge, it’s chance for Phillip to look back over the last explosive 18 months of his life, and explore what happened.
TThe audience will learn how he feels now about television and the future, as well as the past. And it will be Phillip Schofield as we have never seen him before – unguarded, emotional and brutally honest…”.