Phillip Schofield has been handed a fresh blow following his highly-advertised return to TV landed with a dud.
The former This Morning presenter had been hoping to relaunch his career – following his “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a younger showrunner – with a Channel 5 documentary, reports the Mirror.
However, the low viewership and scathing reviews for the three-part docuseries titled ‘Phillip Schofield Cast Away‘ appear to be yet another nail in the coffin.
Rating figures have revealed that just 1.4 million people tuned in to watch the fallen star mope around the small island of Nosy Ankarea, off the coast of Madagascar, on his own.
Schofield hoped the documentary would help rehabilitate the former star’s public image.
Yet, audiences slammed the 62-year-old online, claiming he appeared “narcissistic” and “unremorseful” over the origins of his self-inflicted career implosion.
Schofield has also been handed a fresh blow as it was revealed that ITV outperformed Schofield’s heavily advertised TV return – as crime drama Joan, starring Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner, attracted over 2 million viewers.
A Channel 5 spokesperson declined to officially comment if the ratings for Phillip Schofield Cast Away were considered a success or a flop.
The second episode of Phillip Schofield’s Cast Away aired on Tuesday night at 9pm, and the third and final instalment will air on Wednesday at the same time.
The show has been described as “an authentic and intense physical and mental challenge” as Schofield was left on a deserted island for 10 days and left with a camera to film himself.
In the first episode, the dad-of-2 spoke directly to the camera: “In the last 18 months my life has totally unravelled. I locked myself away from the outside world. But now I want to see if the ultimate isolation can finally set me free.”
He was shown searching for crabs to eat and battling against harsh winds, as he looked back on how the survivalist experience helped to empty what he calls his “toxicity tanks”.
He added that he wants people to “bugger off and let me get on with the quiet life that you’ve all given me”, before sharing how “dark” things became.
Reflecting on his ruined career, he added: “I miss parts of it. I miss most of it. There are bits I really, really don’t miss. You learn a lot about people. You learn a lot about people. I don’t miss that.”
A poll issued by the Mirror found that 54 percent of viewers were not impressed by Schofield’s return.
Voicing their opinions in the comments section, one person penned: “And he’s been paid a wage to do this program. It’s not like he needs the money, so this is purely a vanity project and a route back to the attention he so craves.”
Another posted on social media: “I personally don’t want him back on TV. He had a good career which is over all his fault,” while a third echoed: “Schofield is utterly shameless in his pursuit of celebrity status.”
A fourth posted: “He doesn’t need to work again with the money he has. So to come back with his pity party ‘poor me’ pathetic attempt at getting back into to the limelight shows he has no shame. He’s not sorry for what he did. He abused his position in a big way. And now he throws the blame at everyone else. Tells you what type of person he is really.”
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