Phillip Schofield was noticeably moved just moments into his television comeback as he spoke about his late father on his new programme.
The former daytime TV star sparked a buzz when it was revealed he’d be fronting a new Channel 5 show, Phillip Schofield: Cast Away, which debuted on Monday evening.
In the three-part series, The 62-year-old braves 10 days of survival, cast away off the coast of Madagascar, struggling to survive alone on the deserted island of Nosy Ankara, as he foraged for food and water in a gruelling challenge.
However, amidst his survival efforts, Phillip dropped several bombshells, over a year after his departure from his presenting role on ITV This Morning and Dancing On Ice.
After revealing details about his dismissal, Phillip began to tear up as he opened up about his late father Brian, a man he refers to as “his hero”, reports Cornwall Live.
He began by saying: “My dad, he was a fly fisherman so he was really accurate, Phillip Schofield first said about his father Brian. Phillip first shared about his father Brian. He recalled: ” Phillip Schofield first said about his father Brian. Phillip first shared about his father Brian.
He remembered: “He was so kind and so caring and so loving, and so generous. My dad was my hero.” As the tears started to appear, he tried to regain his composure. “There’s a lot of thing I’m glad he didn’t see”, he admitted. Phillip has often spoken about his father, who died from a long-standing heart condition in 2008.
Phillip previously shared a heartfelt moment about his late father’s likely reaction to his decision to come out. Speaking on the ‘How to Wow’ podcast with Chris Evans, Phillip revealed he asked his mum: “When I went down to Cornwall when I told my mum, I said, ‘What do you think dad would have said? Would he still be proud? “
Phillip also opened up about his father’s passing on This Morning, recalling: “My dad died in 2008, he’d been poorly for a long time. We knew it was going to happen, but when it finally did happen we heard from the hospital.”
He made an poignant observation about the timing of death, saying: “It is this extraordinary physical thing that a person who is near the end of their life who without even knowing maybe, waits until family have left the room and then they go quietly on their own.”
Following his departure from ITV last year amid a scandal surrounding an affair with a younger staff member, Phillip is reportedly planning a TV comeback. The controversy not only damaged his reputation but allegedly contributed to a rift with his former co-host Holly Willoughby, who left This Morning in 2023.
Phillip Schofield Cast Away continues Tuesday, October 1 on Channel 5 at 9pm