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He had hoped his TV comeback would redeem him, with aspirations to star in further projects.
But Phillip Schofield has lost out to Ben Shephard – the man who replaced him on This Morning.
Despite huge promotional campaign and a 9pm prime time slot, ITV‘s afternoon quiz show Tipping Point attracted more viewers than Cast Away.
Aired last night on Channel 5 at 9pm, Cast Away brought in a peak of 1.5 million viewers.
Meanwhile, ITV’s Tipping Point at 4pm received two million viewers.
Last week disgraced Schofield revealed he was taking part in his own Channel 5 survival show just 16 months on from leaving This Morning after admitting to having an ‘unwise but not illegal’ fling with a junior male colleague.
He had hoped his TV comeback would redeem him, with aspirations to star in further projects. But Phillip Schofield has lost out to Ben Shephard – the man who replaced him on This Morning
Despite huge promotional campaign and a 9pm prime time slot, ITV’s afternoon quiz show Tipping Point attracted more viewers than Cast Away (Ben seen on Castaway)
Billed as ‘an authentic and intense physical and mental challenge’, the three-part show, Phillip Schofield: Cast Away, gave the 62-year-old free reign ‘to tell his side’ of the scandal that derailed his career.
He stood down from This Morning in May 2023, while his sidekick Holly Willoughby quit five months later.
They were replaced by Ben Shephard, 49, he and Cat Deeley, 47.
Their debut came after Ms Willoughby left the show last October ‘for the sake of her family’ after discovering she was the target of a foiled kidnap and murder plot and has since not been replaced permanently.
It came five months after Mr Schofield’s departure after his affair with a young male showrunner was made public, followed by claims of an increasingly strained relationship with his co-host.
Elsewhere on television, ITV’s The Chase raked in 3.1 million viewers and Coronation Street, 3.5 million.
ITV’s new drama Joan, starring Sophie Turner, had a peak audience of two million.
In comparison to the BBC, The One Show had 2.8 million viewers and Bargain Hunt, 2.3.
Aired last night on Channel 5 at 9pm, Cast Away brought in a peak of 1.6 million viewers. Meanwhile, ITV’s Tipping Point at 4pm received two million viewers
Schofield with former colleague Holly Willoughby on This Morning before their respective departures from the ITV show
Whilst watching on Monday night, viewers branded Cast Away as ‘boring’ and ‘cringe’ and claimed they ‘won’t be watching the next episode’.
Taking to X to slam it, one wrote: ‘THIS IS BORING AS HELL #PhillipSchofield.’
‘Well that’s an hour of my life I won’t get back. Prob won’t watch the next episode of the pity party, was fun to wind up the Schofield Sympathisers for an hour though #phillipschofield #castaway,’ another said.
Another wrote: ‘Well that was the most boring hour of television I’ve ever watched on Channel 5 and he is still as annoying as we all already knew. #CastAway #PhillipSchofield.’
‘This #PhillipSchofield thing is insanely cringe,’ another said.
Channel 5 bosses are said to be assessing the public’s reaction and ratings of the new series before lining up any future projects involving Schofield.
Schofield is said to have turned down a selection of big money TV offers before choosing to sign up for Cast Away.
Last week disgraced Schofield revealed he was taking part in his own Channel 5 survival show just 16 months on from leaving This Morning after admitting to having an ‘unwise but not illegal’ fling with a junior male colleague