FORMER ITV PRESENTER Phillip Schofield was abandoned on an island for ten days as part of his TV return.

The 62-year-old will appear in Channel 5’s Cast Away, which sees him stranded on an island off Madagascar.

A spokesperson for Channel 5 said Schofield “confronts the challenges of total isolation, the forces of nature, and provides the time to battle within his own mind as he explores his own controversial story”.

He was a mainstay on ITV but left the station in May 2023 after revelations about a relationship between Schofield and a runner on This Morning.

Schofield has made few public appearances following his resignation from ITV, after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague.

The Sun newspaper first published an article on the relationship in December 2019.

However, ITV bosses last year said both Schofield and his former lover “repeatedly denied” allegations of a relationship until the star quit ITV and formally apologised.

An external review published in December 2023 found that ITV’s management “made considerable efforts to determine the truth about an alleged relationship”.

But in the “face of the denials of the individuals involved, ITV was unable to uncover the relevant evidence until Schofield’s admission in late May 2023,” the external review added.

On tomorrow's front page: Phillip Schofield sensationally signs with Channel 5 for ‘top secret’ new show 16 months after being dumped by ITV https://t.co/SjmoIQt843 pic.twitter.com/tvidzcKndI

— The Sun (@TheSun) September 24, 2024

The review also found that Schofield’s patronage of the runner assisted him in the early days of his career at ITV but beyond this the man “seems to have made his way on his own.”

Both Schofield and the unnamed runner declined to participate in the external review process.

In a post on social media today, Schofield said “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,” added Schofield. 

Schofield also said he “felt compelled” to appear on the programme and that it “appealed to me on so many levels”.

“I’ve recently had a lot of time to think about my life, what went right and what went wrong, but I’ve always had the safe arms of friends and family wrapped around me,2 he added.

The show will run over three nights from Monday, 29 September to Wednesday, 2 October at 9pm on Channel 5.