Phillip Schofield's explosive comeback - 'Celebs will be worried - there's nothing stopping him'
It's been one year since Phillip Schofield, in his own words, "lost everything" following his affair with a younger male colleague during his time on This Morning - and now he's reportedly ready for an "explosive comeback".
Just days ago, the 62 year old made a sensational appearance on social media, sparking speculation that he's been plotting his return to showbiz. After remaining under the radar online for 12 months, Phillip shared a snap of his dog, Alfie, perched on the edge of the bed, apparently watching F1 on the television. He wrote: "Thankfully, Alfie is a big @f1 fan."
Now, Phillip looks to be enlisting the help of his fellow ITV alum in order to make a TV comeback. In fact, he recently appeared in high spirits when he was photographed catching up with his pal Dec. According to a source, the meet-up may not have just been a social call as Phil is setting his sights on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!.
"Phillip is not the same since being away from TV, it's all he's done all his life and all he's ever wanted to do. Ant and Dec have both been feeling sorry for him and were worried so they put out the olive branch to bring him back into the fold," the source exclusively told us.
"There have been talks that they're keen to get him on I'm A Celeb. Phillip's very much looking for a TV comeback and to do it in the right way. He's always got on with both Ant and Dec, they've had a long friendship. The boys are making sure he knows they're there for him and asking if he needs anything."
This wouldn't be the first time a celebrity has used the show to give their take on a scandal, with Matt Hancock appearing on the 2022 series in an attempt to show his true self after facing public scrutiny for his time as Health Secretary. Seann Walsh also took part in the same series, four years after he was involved in a cheating row during Strictly Come Dancing.
Despite retreating from the public, Phillip, who presented This Morning for 21 years, is reportedly keen to return to the small screen to tell his side of the scandal.
"They [Ant and Dec] think the jungle would be the best move for Phillip and to get his career back on track. A lot of stars have gone on there when their luck is down and they want to get their side across," the source continued.
"Matt Hancock did very well despite the country's feelings towards him, so they're thinking that Phillip could do something similar. Dec has said to Phillip 'this could be your way back in' and they know it would pull high ratings for the show too. ITV would have him back for it because they know it would be good for the show, but they wouldn't have him back as a presenter."
Now, as Phillip works to repair his image, the TV presenter could also be flooded with other career offers - in a particular a tell-all book - but his showbiz pals would have cause for concern about the secrets he could spill.
"It's likely that Phillip could receive offers for TV on other networks and radio, but there's also scope for him to do a book. This could be his way back into the hearts of the people," explained Dermot McNamara, founder of Candid Publicity and PR expert.
"However, when it comes to a book, execs and celebs alike will be worried, because there’s nothing stopping him throwing names under the bus with his explosive comeback."
"The book will let him put his own story out there, completely in his own words - whereas on TV, he’d be limited to what he can say or what the channel themselves can air."
It looks like only time will tell what could happen...
