Jeremy Clarkson called Phillip Schofield after affair news broke: "I was actually cross"

As previously reported, Schofield left his role with ITV after his “unwise but not illegal” affair with a much younger colleague was exposed. Schofield was one of the channel’s biggest stars, hosting both This Morning and Dancing on Ice alongside Holly Willoughby, who also left a short while later.

Although they aren't close friends, the Clarkson’s Farm host admitted feeling "quite cross" about how Schofield was treated in the aftermath of the scandal. Clarkson actually reached out to him, and the two ended up having a lengthy conversation.

Clarkson described the 62-year-old former TV presenter as a "broken man" during their call last year, as Schofield seemed to feel as though his 35-year television career was over. However, with news of Schofield’s upcoming return to television, Clarkson expressed his happiness, saying he’s "delighted" to see him get his life back on track.

Schofield is set to return to screens on Channel 5’s Cast Away, a three-part series that will air from Monday to Wednesday. In the show, he will be stranded on a tropical island near Madagascar for 10 days, where he will discuss his "unwise, but not illegal" affair, provide insight into what happened behind the scenes at This Morning, and share his future plans.

Writing in his column for The Sun, Clarkson said: “When Phillip Schofield announced on morning television that he was gay, everyone rallied round and said how brave he’d been. But when it turned out that he’d actually done gay stuff, he was sacked, cancelled, eviscerated and swept into the bucket of history marked ‘disgraced, ageing TV stars.’

“I was actually quite cross about this, so even though I don’t know him at all well, I called him up and we had a long chat. It was like talking to a completely broken man, because he could see no way back. I was therefore delighted to hear this week that he’s managed it.

“He’s been on a small island with nothing but a camera for company, and he’s made some kind of soul-searching documentary which will be aired on Channel 5 next week. And looking at the pictures, I couldn’t help thinking: Hmmm. Couldn’t we all do with a break like that?”

In Phillip Schofield Cast Away, Schofield spends 10 days and nine nights on a remote, uninhabited island off the coast of Madagascar. Channel 5 said the series will see him "confront the challenges of total isolation, the forces of nature, and provide time to battle within his own mind as he explores his own controversial story."