'Phillip Schofield's latest move signals TV comeback with bosses lining up for him'
This time last year Phillip Schofield sensationally quit ITV after admitting to an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a younger male colleague, and he has kept out of the limelight ever since.
The shamed presenter, who reigned over daytime TV with This Morning for 21 years, apologised for lying about the relationship. As his management pulled the plug and best pal Holly Willoughby claimed she had been betrayed, his world appeared to collapse, with him declaring he had "lost everything."
Amid the public outcry, the dad-of-two hid out at his mum's house in Cornwall, only to be spotted on dog walks with family, along with a rare restaurant appearance with Vanessa Felz.
But more recently, Phillip has been photographed alongside Declan Donnelly, sparking rumours that he could be joining him Down Under in a bid to redeem his image on I'm A Celebrity.
Phil also broke his year-long social media silence last week, seeing some fans speculating that he is set for a comeback. Now, a PR expert believes that his 'discipline' over the past year has paid off, and is echoed by his cryptic Instagram strapline.
Analysing how the former beloved presenter, once known as the 'king of daytime TV', has handled the situation, crisis management pro Edward Coram James, CEO of Go Up, told the Mirror: "It takes serious, serious discipline to go radio silent for as long as Schofield did. Crucially, his discipline allowed him to go through the crisis without compromising his personal brand."
"Schofield managed not only to navigate his crisis with discipline, he managed to navigate it with kindness. Kindness to himself, and kindness to others. The kindness to himself came in him going offline. He did not need to see some of the vitriol being written on social media, and what better way to avoid such insults than to disengage entirely? And kindness to others. Even in his darkest hour, he avoided lending an unkind word, even to his most vocal detractors. As such, his brand may have lost a few feathers, but it's far from knocked out."
On the latest comeback rumours, the PR expert said: "It's hardly surprising that Schofield is now considering a comeback, and that producers and networks may be lining up to make him job offers."
On May 15, Phillip created quite a stir on social media as he shared a picture of his dog, Alfie, sitting near the edge of the bed, seemingly engrossed in F1 on the telly. His caption of the photo, which has restricted comments, read: "Thankfully, Alfie is a big @f1 fan."
While followers discussed the meaning of his social media revival, Ed was more concerned with Phil's Instagram bio, which states "Nothing beats kindness, it sits quietly behind all things". "Indeed, his reborn social media presence serves to highlight everything that the public has ever loved about Schofield," Ed continued.
"If they are to stand even the slightest chance of remaining relevant, they will need all of the help and pulling power that they can get. ITV needs Schofield a whole lot more than Schofield needs ITV."
