‘ITV needs Schofield comeback to revive This Morning amid crisis’

Phillip Schofield has been away from screens for over a year, but an expert says his ‘discipline’ could see the tide turn for the disgraced star.

The former ITV presenter, who reigned daytime TV with This Morning for 21 years, admitted to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague last May, and has kept out of the limelight ever since. The 62-year-old apologised for lying about the relationship and as his management pulled the plug and best pal Holly Willoughby claimed she had been betrayed, Schofield’s world appeared to collapse.

He “lost everything” and amid the public outcry that ensued, the dad-of-two sought refuge at his mum’s house in Cornwall. He has only been spotted on the odd dog walk with family, along with a rare restaurant appearance with Vanessa Felz. More recently, Phil was papped alongside Declan Donnelly, sparking rumours that he could be joining him Down Under in a bid to redeem his image on I’m A Celebrity.

Now, a PR and crisis management expert has argued that Phil is destined for a comeback in the near future. Edward Coram James, CEO of Go Up, criticised ITV for responding to Phil’s scandal with “knee-jerk” and “disproportionate” statements last year, and said network bosses need the familiar face to up their rating figures. The broadcaster is said to be in ‘crisis’ with This Morning as it weathers reports of ‘bored viewers’ after new hosts Cat Deely and Ben Shephard have ‘failed to connect’ with audiences.

The presenting duo were announced in March, after rumours and speculation surrounding who would replace Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on the ITV daytime show. Many disgruntled viewers have taken to social media to voice their concerns, with one penning: “I don’t even watch morning TV but for the life of me I CANNOT understand why these two aren’t the main hosts! Mind boggling.”

Suggesting Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond, who present the show on Fridays, should take the lead instead, another chimed in: “Wish these two were on every day. Much more suited to the programme x.” Agreeing, one responded: “My thoughts exactly. Don’t like Cat Deeley for some reason and Ben is not fun.”

Viewing figures showed they got off to a good start however interest has since dropped, and in May, peak viewing figures fell to 589,000 – with an average of 486,000, according to The Sun. A spokesperson for This Morning hit back at the claims and told The Mirror: “Ben and Cat have recorded the best audience reach of the year so far on This Morning with 4.5 million viewers across one week.

“Viewing figures for January – March 2024 are also up 5% compared to 2023.” PR pro Ed told the Mirror that British TV channels are struggling against American streaming giants, and therefore he believes networks need well-known hosts with a wealth of experience, such as Schofield – who was once dubbed the ‘king of daytime TV’ – to survive.

Ed claimed: “If they are to stand even the slightest chance of remaining relevant, they will need all of the help and pulling power that they can get. Schofield has always proven himself to be popular. He’s now proven himself to be flexible and disciplined.

“Attributes that will be absolutely crucial for the likes of ITV in the years ahead, and attributes that ITV showed a total lack of in the way that they handled the initial scandal. To put it simply: ITV needs Schofield a whole lot more than Schofield needs ITV.

“Having witnessed Schofield’s handling of the fallout, there is every reason to believe that he could regain his moniker. The TV networks would be foolish to ignore it. If they are to stand even the slightest chance of remaining relevant, they will need all of the help and pulling power that they can get.”

Edward has commended Schofield’s ability to remain under the radar in a bid to allow the scandal to blow over. “It takes serious, serious discipline to go radio silent for as long as Schofield did,” he explained. “Crucially, his discipline allowed him to go through the crisis without compromising his personal brand.

“Time and again we see brands based on kindness and gentleness fall apart at times of crisis. Famous faces known for spreading messages of love and tolerance undermined by private reports of bullying. Celebrities famed for their kindness reacting cruelly to criticism. Few things can damage a brand faster than the perception of hypocrisy, or the feeling that they have spread a false narrative about who they are and what they stand for.

“Schofield managed not only to navigate his crisis with discipline, he managed to navigate it with kindness. Kindness to himself, and kindness to others. The kindness to himself came in him going offline. He did not need to see some of the vitriol being written on social media, and what better way to avoid such insults than to disengage entirely? And kindness to others. Even in his darkest hour, he avoided lending an unkind word, even to his most vocal detractors. As such, his brand may have lost a few feathers, but it’s far from knocked out.”

Ed says the star has “passed the toxicity litmus test”, with famous friends, such as Dec, now starting to feel safe with being seen in public in his company. Meanwhile, he raises that “large swathes” of the public have started to take sympathy with him as fans have missed his presence on the small screen.

On the latest comeback rumours, the PR expert said: “It’s hardly surprising that Schofield is now considering a comeback, and that producers and networks may be lining up to make him job offers. There are many ways that Schofield could have reacted that could have cemented his fate for the worse.

“Instead, his behaviour during and after the scandal is a textbook example of how people should act in the face of PR disaster. It’s a feat that very few manage to pull off. But it’s given Schofield the opportunity for a second chance.”

The Mirror has approached ITV for comment.

Edward does not represent Schofield in any capacity, nor does he know him or have any connection to him whatsoever.