Phillip Schofield has been issued a stern warning by Vanessa Feltz ahead of his TV return on Channel 5’s Cast Away.
This week, Phil announced his TV comeback more than a year after this ITV exit and affair scandal. He is set to star in the three-part series, Cast Away, which will see Phillip spend 10 days on a desert island off the coast of Madagascar.
Now, his former co-star Vanessa has spoken out about his TV return, admitting that it could be a “risk”.
Phillip Schofield to make TV return on Cast Away
When the news of Phillip’s TV return was announced, Channel 5 said the three-part series has given Phil the “chance to look back over the last explosive 18 months of his life”.
Phil left ITV completely last year after admitting to having an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague.
Now, his pal Vanessa has warned Phillip that appearing in any reality TV show “is a risk” – but hopes that Philip’s stint on the show “is a success”.
Vanessa Feltz says ‘it’s a risk’
Speaking to Metro, Vanessa said: “I just think whatever he does to make him feel better. I wish him all the luck in the world. Obviously I haven’t seen it, so I don’t know how he copes in isolation for all those days, and whether it turns out to be a good thing or a bad thing.”
The This Morning star went on: “Any reality TV show anyone does is a risk, that’s the whole point, you could come out brilliantly and everyone could fall in love with you and you could impress them to the max.”
Vanessa on Phillip Schofield starring in Cast Away
Vanessa, who had “no idea” Phillip would be returning to screens, went on to praise Phillip – dubbing him “a very seasoned TV professional”.
She shared: “I really hope that it’s the right thing for him, and it does him the power of good, that he personally enjoys it and that the viewers enjoy it and that it makes him feel better and it makes everybody feel better. That’s what I would like. I’d like it to be a success.”
The 62-year-old will star in Channel 5’s Cast Away next week. The premise includes Phillip being stranded on an island off Madagascar for 10 days.
“Now you know how I spent my Summer! Alone for 10 days, no food, no water, no crew. My story of survival, both on a desert island and off it,” he shared on Instagram.
Phillip on Cast Away
Ahead of Cast Away’s premiere next week, it has been revealed that the show was filmed with no crew on set. Instead, Phillip chose to record the show himself with a handheld camera, body camera, and a sound pack.
“This is most definitely a first for me and the only thing I felt compelled to do. It appealed to me on so many levels,” he said.
“I’ve recently had a lot of time to think about my life, what went right and what went wrong. But I’ve always had the safe arms of friends and family wrapped around me. This time it’s just me, no phone, no comforts, no crew and only lip balm as a luxury.”
Read more: Alison Hammond risks wrath of pal Holly Willoughby as she backs Phillip Schofield’s TV return
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