Phillip Schofield addresses 'mistake' he will 'regret forever' in TV return

In three days time, Phillip Schofield will make a dramatic return to television where he'll lift the lid on his 'dark' experience of being axed from showbiz.

Channel 5 is set to release a three-part documentary special, which will see the 62-year-old marooned on a tropical island and forced to reflect on recent events.

Titled Cast Away, the series - landing at 9pm Monday 30 Sept - marks the father-of-two's first appearance since May 2023, when he sensationally stepped down from his long-standing role as a presenter of This Morning.

The resignation came after news of an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a younger male colleague came to light, which Schofield admitted to at the time and has said he will 'regret forever'.

As well as also stepping down from Dancing On Ice - which he previously presented along with Holly Willoughby - the revelation also saw Schofield dropped by his agency.

Now, the former ITV frontman will tell his side of the story, after he and a handful of cameras were dropped off on the shore of Madagascar.

Asked during the first few moment why he has opted to take part, Schofield will be seen admitting: "I think there’d be an awful lot of people that hope I never come back."

Phillip will be seen reflecting on the events of the last year (PA)

During the experience, viewers will see him claim the wildlife experience is helping him to empty his 'toxicity tanks', before sending a message to those who've opposed him since news of his affair hit the headlines.

"Bugger off and let me get on with the quiet life that you’ve all given me," a preview of the show hears Schofield telling viewers.

He'll also recall a period when he contemplated taking his own life, claiming the only individuals that held him back were his daughters, Ruby and Molly.

"I had everything in place, everything was set up and everything was ready," he'll be seen telling cameras.

The ex-TV star says his daughters prevented him from taking his own life (PA)

"Molly said, 'Do you imagine what this would do to us if you actually managed to pull this off? Imagine what would happen. Can you imagine what it would do to me if you did this on my watch?'" he recalls.

"And that was just enough to take a step back from the edge. I could have been hospitalised.

"I had the option to be hospitalised, but then I thought, that’s going to get out. So I just raced to the family home and shut the gates."

Both Phillip and Holly quit This Morning (ITV)

Reflecting on his friendship with Holly Willoughby - who also quit This Morning just five months after Schofield's departure - he'll also describe her as a 'joy' and 'privilege' to work with, and claim he was 'lucky' to have stood by her side.

"When it came to a sudden very abrupt end, you know one minute you’re there and then the next minute you’re gone, you know what it feels like to be cancelled," he'll be heard saying.

"It’s like the biggest grenade going off in your life, and you know you let people down, you’ve let yourself down, and it was unwise and unprofessional thing to do, I will be forever sorry, I screwed up, I made a mistake, and I hurt the people around me."

Schofield insists he'll 'never quit' the show (PA)

He'll also claim he has 'no right' to say 'poor me' due to the level of success he already has under his belt.

"Cancellation is a funny old thing, because, if you’re cancelled, then that’s it. I assume you’re dead," he'll continue.

"You can’t do anything. Everything you do is wrong."

Phillip Schofield: Cast Away begins airs at 9pm on Monday on Channel 5, and will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday at the same time.