Philip Schofield’s controversial TV return goes down badly online: “A fucking disgrace”

The presenter is set to return to Channel 5 with a new three-part series

Philip Schofield’s controversial TV return has gone down badly online, with some viewers calling it “a fucking disgrace”.

It was revealed yesterday (September 24) that the former This Morning presenter had spent the summer filming a three-part series called Cast Away, which sees him spending ten days trying to survive on an island in the Indian Ocean.

Announcing the news on his Instagram account alongside a picture of himself on the island, 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. Cast Away starts Monday on @channel5_tv & My5 at 9pm.”

The announcement sparked much anger online, with some viewers saying it was a “disgrace”. This follows on from Schofields departure last year from This Morning after he admitted to having an affair with a much younger male colleague.

Schofield, 61, who was a host on the show since 2002, quit last month after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with a colleague.

One online user said they were “quite shocked” by Channel 5’s decision to put the presenter back on air, while another added: “he’s surely not owed any comeback when his brand of being the genuinely nice guy, friend of everyone and being open & honest turned out to be a whopper of a lie.” Another described it as “a fucking disgrace“.

You can see more of the reaction here:

Meanwhile, last year, Elton John claimed that the response to Phillip Schofield’s secret affair with a younger colleague was “totally homophobic”.

In the time since the affair came to light, Schofield faced immense scrutiny from numerous news outlets and the public.

John spoke out against the response that people have had towards Schofield in an interview with Radio Times and suggested that the reaction would be much different if he was heterosexual.

“I feel that the Phillip Schofield thing has been totally homophobic,” he said in the discussion. “If it was a straight guy in a fling with a young woman, it wouldn’t even make the papers.”

Schofield previously reiterated a similar statement during an interview with the BBC – alleging that there was an element of homophobia in the criticism he faced.

“It’s accepted by Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s not accepted if it’s in the gay world,” he claimed (via Sky News), referring to the numerous relationships the Wolf Of Wall Street actor has had with significantly younger women.