Phillip Schofield ‘secretly met with ITV’ and ‘made demand’ just months before TV return

Phillip Schofield reportedly had a secret meeting with ITV chiefs just months ahead of his anticipated television comeback, levelling ‘demands’ amid feelings of betrayal by the broadcaster.

After an explosive exit from the network in May 2023 following revelations of his affair with a younger male member of This Morning’s staff – an accusation he had previously refuted – Schofield harboured intense animosity toward executives, and possibly toward Holly Willoughby, who is said to no longer be on friendly terms with him.

The scandal-wracked presenter resurfaced on television this week in a survival programme, having spent time on a deserted island while filming a new Channel 5 series.

In it, he lashed out at ITV, alleging a lack of loyalty during the height of the controversy, and he excoriated three individuals at the network, branding them as “three sh*ts” in a fiery diatribe that hinted at Willoughby, his former This Morning co-host, being one of those targeted.

Despite his condemnation of ITV and past colleagues, The Times reported that Schofield sought reconciliation with the channel, ‘demanding an apology’ and pondering a return. It is understood that YMU, his prior management agency, had orchestrated a discussion with ITV bosses and Molly Lowe, Schofield’s oldest daughter and current publicist.

Paul Worsley, the head honcho at YMU, alongside Molly, raised concerns about how Schofield was treated by the broadcaster, questioning if he had been “blacklisted” and calling for an apology.

ITV stood firm, stating they do not use blacklists and declined to apologise, pointing out that Schofield had resigned from his roles rather than being dismissed, reports .

Contradicting this stance, Schofield has asserted on his Cast Away show: “I don’t quit. I’m fired, but I never quit.”

In his new Channel 5 series, Schofield reminisced about his affection for the ‘s Television Centre, which later became the filming location for ITV’s This Morning.

He shared how his fondness for the building soured after he left, saying: “When what happened to me happened to me, it screwed up my favourite building in the world, and it pretty well blew away all those happy memories, and suddenly the place became hostile to me, and that was heartbreaking.

“And the people who did it to me, know, they know how important that building was to me. They know that when you throw someone under a bus, you’ve got to have a really bloody good reason to do it. Brand, ambition is not good enough. It’s not a good enough reason to throw someone under a bus.”

Schofield then launched a scathing attack on the network, remarking: “I was just thinking there as I was collecting wood. There are only three sh*ts. One of them is a coward who never stepped up in queue gate.

“One of them is a coward because they never stepped up when I was being battered by one journalist….and the other one is just brand orientated. Not what you expect, not what you think you’re going to get. When it all came to a sudden and very abrupt end, questions were asked about our toxic environment in parliament!”.

He vented further frustrations, saying: “When you’ve given so much to somewhere and been so loyal, to have absolutely no loyalty shown to you. I know what I did was unwise, not sensible. But is it enough to absolutely destroy someone? Literally destroy them.”

ITV has been approached by Express Online for a statement regarding Schofield’s claims about the event. They declined to comment.

: Cast Away will air on Monday 30 September on Channel 5.