Phillip Schofield has cheekily referenced his former best mate and co-presenter Holly Willoughby in his new Channel 5 show. The former ITV presenter subtly imitated her well-known ‘OK’ greeting from This Morning, following his departure from the iconic daytime show.
Upon Phil’s depature, Holly had addressed the morning viewers with a message, starting: “Firstly, are you OK?” Now on his fresh Channel 5 series, Phillip seemed to allude to that episode.
While having a barbecue with his wife Stephanie and their two daughters, Molly, 31, and Ruby, 28, he jokingly asked: “If you’re okay, then we’re okay and I’m okay. Are you okay? ” Holly’s name was not mentioned directly, yet it’s quite clear she was in the crosshairs.
Not stopping there, during the pilot of his new show, insiders have said Phillip appeared to dig subtly at past colleagues too. Nibbling on a piece of fruit, Phillip jested: “It’s going through an angry bitter stage…like some television presenters haha.”
Describing his controversial ITV exit as “the biggest grenade going off in your life”, he left amidst a scandal that revealed a secret affair with a young man from the This Morning crew, reports the Mirror.
Branding the relationship as “unwise but not illegal”, he announced his resignation in May 2023. His final words before his complete ITV exit a week subsequent were “This Morning itself has become the story”.
Phillip has candidly shared the struggles he’s faced, crediting his daughters Ruby and Molly as his lifelines during times when he battled suicidal thoughts. Despite the upheaval following his affair, Phillip maintains a close bond with his wife Stephanie and has still been seen wearing his wedding ring as he set off on a new journey for his show, Phillip Schofield: Cast Away, on a remote island near Madagascar.
Molly Schofield opened up about the family’s challenges, revealing they’ve actually grown “closer” through it all. She expressed her pride in her father, acknowledging how difficult it was to witness him lose the public’s affection.
She said: “We’ve seen him at his lowest times, but I’ve been so proud of him, and as a daughter to see the love that people had for him that when it’s taken away it’s just heartbreaking.”
The devoted daughter also conveyed her appreciation for her parents’ lasting friendship despite the circumstances, saying: “I never thought it would have gone the way it has but to have my parents still best friends…Im the luckiest person ever.”
Phil also reflected on the resilience of the family bond, stating: “Some families can adapt, some families can’t. Without them I wouldn’t be here. I still have the love of my family. Never wavered.”
The show will also offer perspectives from Stephanie Schofield, who remains friendly with Phillip. She shed light on the broader effects of their personal issues, commenting: “What people don’t realise if that they batter you but then there are other people affected.”
Stephanie opened up about the bravery required to step back into the public eye, commenting: “There’s no question by doing this you’re popping your head back up above the parapet for the very few horrid people that there are out there.”
In the season opener, Phil is seen grappling with his new venture in reality TV, which leaves him marooned on an uninhabited island. He jokes: “I think there’d be an awful lot of people that hope I never come back.”
Phillip fondly recalled his tenure on This Morning, describing it as a “joy” and a “privilege” and expressed gratitude for an extraordinary four-decade career until an abrupt end in 2023.
On the topic of his sudden departure from television, he divulged: “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.
“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 (an) unprofessional thing to do, I will be forever sorry, I screwed up, I made a mistake, and I hurt the people around me.”
