Phillip Schofield to make TV return in Cast Away

Schofield has not made a TV appearance since leaving ITV's This Morning in May 2023

Phillip Schofield has announced he will appear in a new TV series after leaving This Morning 16 months ago.

The 62-year-old will appear in Channel 5’s Cast Away, which sees him stranded on an island off Madagascar for 10 days.

In an Instagram post, Schofield wrote: "Now you know how I spent my summer! Alone for 10 days, no food, no water, no crew.

"My story of survival, both on a desert island and off it."

'Maybe I'll be Robinson Crusoe'

The three-part reality show, which starts on Monday at 21:00 BST, will see the broadcaster fend for himself on the uninhabited island.

Without a camera crew or production team, he has recorded his journey himself with a handheld camera, body camera and a sound pack.

PA reported that Schofield 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 Hanks' Wilson and quietly drift off into the wild blue yonder."

In May 2023, Schofield agreed to step down from ITV’s This Morning “with immediate effect” after more than 20 years, following reports of a rift with co-presenter Holly Willoughby.

A week later, he admitted to having had an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a younger male colleague and has not made a TV appearance since.

Speaking to the BBC last June, Schofield said the affair was "consensual” but his “fault" and his "biggest, sorriest secret".

Schofield had presented This Morning since 2002, with Willoughby joining him as a co-presenter in 2009.

He is expected to talk about his departure from TV and the affair on the show.

In a teaser for the show Schofield can be seen walking on a beach with the caption: "One celebrity on a desert island totally alone with one chance to finally tell his story".

The Sun reported that Schofield had "quite a few offers for various things - but has steadfastly turned them all down".

It also said that that this "sort of challenge has always appealed to him" and he decided to go ahead with the show after the approval from friends and family.

"He wanted a chance to share his story, unedited and honest, and let viewers see another side to him," a friend reportedly told The Sun.

They added that he is "in no rush to come back to TV full-time yet".

"He remains very bruised, and is just taking some time now to weigh things up before he makes any major decisions."

Channel 5 describe the documentary as an "epic study of solitude and mental fortitude" with each episode capturing "their raw experience - both physical survival and the emotional toll of solitude - offering an intimate exploration of the human spirit and the limits of endurance".

Previous celebrities to appear on survival shows include Joanna Lumley and Ruby Wax.