Phillip Schofield has shared his first Instagram post in more than a year, following reports he is planning his TV comeback.
The former This Morning star, who has 2.8 million followers, shared a photo of his dog watching Formula 1 while Phillip relaxed on his bed.
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 all liked the post within minutes, a clear sign of support.
Phillip Schofield has shared his first Instagram post in more than a year, following reports he is planning his TV comeback
Phil, who has 2.8 million followers on Instagram, received 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 quit 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 report, Philip left This Morning, quitting 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 a return to the spotlight, he himself has reservations.
The source explained that Phillip is supported by his friends at ITV, including Alison Hammond and Ant and Dec.
Phil and Declan Donnelly were captured together in London last week after a four-hour dinner at a restaurant near their home.
An insider told The Sun of Phil’s support network: “They have all rallied around him and their support, especially from Dec who is such 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 shaken by everything that happened last year and is happy that he can now 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)
“Whether he will make a comeback – whether on TV or radio – is still undecided, but the offers are there if he wants to pursue them. His friends have told him they will support him all the way.”
Phillip and Dec’s dinner marks the first time the pair have been seen together publicly since the This Morning scandal.
Dec was accompanied by his wife Ali Astall, while Phil was accompanied by his puppy.
Bystanders reported that the pair appeared to be in good spirits and were laughing and joking together as if it were a normal night out.
After Phillip left the show in May, his co-host Holly Willoughby later left in October over an alleged kidnapping plot.
The pair were officially replaced by Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley in March, when the two joined the show full-time after a series of guest presenters rotated the daytime slot.
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 captured together in London last week after a four-hour dinner at a restaurant near their home
One said: ‘Phillip has been very, very down lately. He doesn’t know how to get back to work. It’s terrible for him to realize this, 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 going back to ITV or the BBC.’
Sources close to the star say his friends are trying to encourage him to think he can live a “fulfilling life” away from show business.
One said: ‘Just because he may not be on TV anymore doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy his life. Phil isn’t so sure, though.’
However, the star has been tipped for a job in national radio – his ‘first love’ – with Britain’s biggest commercial broadcasters said to be jostling to bring him in to gain new listeners from rivals including BBC Radio 2.
An ITV report in December cleared bosses of a cover-up and made no further damaging claims about Phil’s relationship with a young runner on the show.
Friends of the presenter told The Sun last week that while they were 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 resigned)
Despite claims of a ‘whitewash’, industry insiders told MailOnline it was the door to the star getting a new big-money deal to return to work in 2024.
But a leading British broadcasting source said at the time that a return to television for Phillip was “unlikely for now.”
He said: ‘Now that a line has been drawn in the sand by ITV over the Schofield saga, the focus will continue.
‘Within a certain amount of time there is now a place for Phillip to return, possibly not yet on TV, but there are now numerous opportunities for him on commercial radio, where he is being offered big money to return to his first love .
‘The KC report gives him another chance – but no one will be surprised to see that ITV has found itself in limbo as it tries to save This Morning.’
Phil and Holly were officially replaced by Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley in March when the two joined the show full-time after a series of guest presenters rotated the daytime slot.
He quit this morning after admitting to a relationship with a younger male former colleague, but neither man spoke to Jane Mulcahy KC, whose report was released in December.
Ms Mulcahy discovered that the The unnamed runner promotion from This Morning to Loose Women ‘had nothing to do’ with Phillip and also claimed that ‘only one person interviewed’ was aware of the matter but ‘did not report their knowledge in a timely manner’.
Phillip started in local radio in New Zealand as a teenager before joining the BBC, where he presented a popular show on Radio 1 while presenting Going Live.
It now remains to be seen whether the most popular British channels, such as Classic FM, Magic, Virgin, Heart or other giants will now make an appearance. Greatest Hits Radio is also busy hiring and has attracted big names such as Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo to take over listeners from Radio 2.
Furious ITV staff branded the external report into Phillip’s affair with a younger colleague a ‘whitewash’.
Alison Hammond has also reportedly supported the former This Morning presenter
One employee told the Mail of his ‘sheer bewilderment’ that only one junior employee was aware of the relationship.
The report found that ITV did not cover up the relationship and that station bosses had made ‘significant efforts’ to uncover the truth in 2019 – four years before the affair broke out.
The external investigation found the broadcaster was ‘unable to uncover the relevant evidence’ until Phillip himself admitted in May when he told the Mail he had been in a relationship and later lied about it.
ITV bosses have said that both Phillip and his former lover, who has never been publicly named, ‘repeatedly denied’ the relationship allegations 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 2023)
It added that only one of the 48 people interviewed – a junior employee – said they were aware of the presenter’s relationship with the younger male former colleague before he revealed it.
Ms Mulcahy revealed Phillip refused to take part in the investigation into the circumstances surrounding his departure due to ‘the risk to his health’.
She added that she was informed that the host’s mental health had deteriorated since then.
Phillip’s former colleague and lover also refused to cooperate with the report.