Phillip Schofield issues snappy rebuke to ‘haters’ following controversial TV comeback

Former ‘This Morning’ presenter spoke about his brother’s 2023 conviction in the final episode of ‘Cast Away’

Phillip Schofield has addressed his “haters” following the final episode of his comeback series Cast Away.

The disgraced This Morning presenter made his return to television this week on the Channel 5 show Cast Away, which saw the 62-year-old spend 10 days on an island off the coast of Madagascar.

The third and final episode of Cast Away aired on Thursday night (3 October). In it, Schofield spoke about “toxic” people in his life and his brother, 54, who was convicted of child abuse in April 2023. His brother Timothy was convicted for 11 sexual offences involving a child, which were committed between October 2016 and October 2019.

Elsewhere during the episode, Schofield bared his backside as he ran into the ocean for a night-time swim in a moment that many viewers complained about on social media.

On Friday (4 October), the broadcaster posted a screenshot of the moment to his Instagram story, writing: “Thank you for your incredible support, I’ve been shown hundreds of lovely messages, which are very important to me. I’m so proud of the shows.”

He went on to address his critics, however, adding: “Obvs the haters can….. kiss my a** X.”

Cast Away marked Schofield’s first time back on screens in 16 months. He exited ITV last year after admitting to having an “unwise” but not “illegal” affair with a younger man, who worked as a runner on This Morning.

In the final episode of Cast Away, Schofield made a list of all the people that he considered to be “toxic” in his life.

(Instagram)

“Over the course of my 10 days I have written down all the things and all the people who were and are toxic in my life,” he explained, before throwing the piece of paper in the fire and running into the water naked.

Viewers were shocked by the moment, with many posting their surprise on social media.

“Did we really have to see Philip Schofield’s naked bottom?” asked one person, with another remarking: “No way have I just seen Phillip Schofield naked running into the sea.”

(Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited/Burning Bright Productions/PA Wire)

At the end of the programme, Schofield said he was undecided on whether he would return to presenting.

In tears, he said: “Now I’m not saying I’m done but you know, never in a million years will I go back to daytime telly. I’ve lived a hundred TV lives.”

At the end of the programme, he could be seen reuniting with his daughter Molly, 31, and their dog, with Molly saying she was “proud to say he’s my dad”.

All three episodes of Cast Away are now streaming on Channel 5’s catch-up service My5.