Phillip Schofield has shared his first Instagram post in more than a year, following reports that he is planning his return to television.
The former This Morning star, who has 2.8 million followers, shared a photo of her dog watching Formula One while Phillip relaxed in bed with him.
He captioned the post: “Luckily Alfie is a big @f1 fan.” [heart emojis].’
Phil’s daughters Ruby, 27, and Molly, 30, as well as his former This Morning co-host Josie Gibson liked the post within minutes, in a clear sign of support.
Phillip Schofield has shared his first Instagram post in more than a year, following reports that he is planning his return to television.
Phil, who has 2.8 million followers on Instagram, earned likes from his daughters Ruby, 27, and Molly, 30, as well as his former This Morning co-host Josie Gibson.
Phil’s last post before Tuesday’s upload was a video posted on May 7, 2023. Just two weeks after that post, Philip left This Morning and left the daytime show on May 20.
Phil’s last post before Tuesday’s upload was a video posted on May 7, 2023 of the star’s trip to Paris.
Just two weeks after that post, Philip left This Morning and resigned from the daytime show on May 20 after admitting he had lied about his relationship with a much younger colleague.
Friends of the presenter told The Sun last week that although they have been pushing for him to return to the spotlight, he himself has reservations.
The source explained that Phillip has the support of his friends at ITV, including Alison Hammond and Ant and Dec.
Phil and Declan Donnelly were photographed together in London last week after a four-hour dinner at a restaurant near their homes.
A source told The Sun of Phil’s support network: “They have all rallied around him and their support, especially Dec, who is a good friend, has really helped Phil.”
‘Some TV executives have been in contact with Phil about a possible return and his friends have told him he should consider it.
‘Phil is still reeling from everything that happened last year and is happy at the moment to focus on rebuilding his life with the support of his friends and family.
Phil’s This Morning co-host Josie Gibson liked the post within minutes, in a clear sign of support (Josie and Phil pictured in March 2022 on the show).
“It is not yet decided whether he will return, whether on television or radio, but the offers are there if he wants to go ahead with them. His friends have told him they will support him all the way.”
Phillip and Dec’s dinner is the first time they have been seen publicly together since the This Morning scandal.
Dec was accompanied by his wife Ali Astall, while Phil was accompanied by his pup.
Viewers reported that the couple seemed in good spirits and were seen laughing and joking together as if it were a normal night.
After Phillip left the show in May, his co-host Holly Willoughby left in October over an alleged kidnapping plot.
The pair were officially replaced by Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley in March, when the two took over the show full-time after a series of guest hosts had been rotating the daytime schedule.
In March, friends of the star said Phillip is “pretty sure” he will never work again after admitting he had an affair with a much younger colleague and then lied about it.
Phil and ITV star Declan Donnelly were pictured together in London last week after a four-hour dinner at a restaurant near their homes.
One said: ‘Phillip has been very, very depressed recently. He doesn’t know how he’s going to get back to work. It’s devastating for him to realize, but he also knows there’s not much he can do about it. He doesn’t know who will take him. He knows there is no way back to ITV or the BBC.
Sources close to the star say his friends are trying to encourage him to think he can have a “full life” away from show business.
One said: “Just because he’s not on TV again doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy his life.” But Phil isn’t so sure.
However, the star has been approached for a job on national radio – his “first love” – and Britain’s biggest commercial stations are said to be competing to lure him in and attract new listeners from their rivals, including BBC Radio 2.
An ITV report in December cleared bosses of a cover-up and made no mention of any other damaging claims about Phil’s relationship with a young racer on the show.
Friends of the presenter told The Sun last week that although they have been pushing for him to return to the spotlight, he himself has reservations (Phil and Holly Willoughby hosted This Morning in May 2023, shortly before Phil give up).
Despite claims of a “cover-up”, industry experts told MailOnline that it opens the door for the star to get a new big-money deal to return to work in 2024.
But a top British broadcasting source said at the time that Phillip’s return to television was “unlikely, for now”.
He said: “Now that ITV has drawn a line in the sand over the Schofield saga, the focus will move on.”
“Within a period of time, there will now be a place for Phillip to return, possibly not on television yet, but there are now a lot of opportunities for him on commercial radio, where he will be offered a lot of money to return to his first love .
“The KC report gives it a new chance, but no one will be at all surprised to see that ITV has found itself in the clear as it tries to save This Morning.”
Phil and Holly were officially replaced by Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley in March, when the two took over the show full-time after a series of guest hosts rotated the daytime schedule.
He quit This Morning after admitting a past relationship with a younger former colleague, but neither of them spoke to Jane Mulcahy KC, whose report was published in December.
Mrs. Mulcahy discovered that The anonymous This Morning runner’s promotion to Loose Women had “nothing to do” with Phillip and also claimed that “only one person” interviewed had knowledge of the matter but “did not report their knowledge at the time”.
Phillip started out in local New Zealand radio as a teenager before joining the BBC, presenting a popular show on Radio 1 while hosting Going Live.
It now remains to be seen whether Britain’s most popular stations, such as Classic FM, Magic, Virgin, Heart or other giants, launch now. Greatest Hits Radio has also been on a hiring spree, landing big names such as Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo to attract Radio 2 listeners.
Furious ITV staff slammed the external report into Phillip’s affair with a younger colleague as a “cover-up”.
Alison Hammond has also reportedly been supporting the former This Morning presenter.
One employee told the Mail of his “sheer bewilderment” that only one junior worker was aware of the relationship.
The report found that ITV did not cover up the relationship and that station bosses had made “considerable efforts” to uncover the truth in 2019, four years before the affair broke.
The external review found that the channel “failed to uncover the relevant evidence” until Phillip himself admitted in May when he told the Mail that he had been having the relationship and had then lied about it.
ITV bosses have said that both Phillip and his former lover, who has never been publicly named, “repeatedly denied” allegations of a relationship until the star dramatically quit ITV and formally apologised.
Phillip also quit Dancing On Ice when Stephen Mulhern took his place for the January series (pictured in 2023).
He added that only one person of the 48 interviewed – a junior employee – said he knew of the presenter’s relationship with the younger former colleague before he revealed it.
Mulcahy revealed that Phillip refused to take part in the review of the circumstances surrounding his departure due to the “risk to his health”. He added that he was informed that the host’s mental health had since deteriorated.
Phillip’s former colleague and lover also declined to participate in the report.