Phillip Schofield told 'ITV needs him' as expert claims star will return to This Morning

Phillip Schofield, the former ITV presenter who dominated daytime TV for 21 years with This Morning, has been off screen for more than a year. However, a professional in PR and crisis management predicts his 'discipline' could pave the way for his return.

Schofield, aged 62, confessed to an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a younger male colleague in May of last year and has since stepped back from the public eye.

PR and crisis management expert Edward Coram James, CEO of Go Up, maintains that Schofield is set for a comeback sooner rather than later. He lambasted ITV's handling of Schofield's controversy last year, calling their reactions "knee-jerk" and "disproportionate", while suggesting that network executives need Schofield's recognisable face to boost their viewership numbers.

ITV is currently navigating reports of an issue with This Morning amid claims of 'distracted viewers' following the new presenters Cat Deely and Ben Shephard failing to resonate with audiences, reports the Mirror.

The announcement of the new hosts for ITV's This Morning came in March, amidst a flurry of speculation as to who might fill the coveted roles previously held by Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield. The decision has stirred up some controversy among viewers, with one expressing their bafflement on social media: "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."

Another viewer proposed that Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond, the show's Friday presenters, would have been better choices: "Wish these two were on every day. Much more suited to the programme x."

Echoing this sentiment, a respondent added: "My thoughts exactly. Don't like Cat Deeley for some reason and Ben is not fun."

Initially, viewing figures seemed promising however they have since dwindled. In May, the peak viewer numbers dropped to 589,000, with an average of 486,000 viewers tuning in, according to The Sun.

Nevertheless, a spokesperson for This Morning defended the new hosts, telling 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 professional Ed warned in his Mirror interview that British television channels are facing stiff competition from American streaming behemoths, highlighting the necessity for seasoned, popular hosts - like the 'king of daytime TV', Schofield - to keep the networks afloat.

Ed remarked: "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 praised Schofield's strategy of staying out of the spotlight to let the controversy subside, saying, "It takes serious, serious discipline to go radio silent for as long as Schofield did," and noted, "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.

Discussing the recent comeback speculations, the PR expert mentioned: "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 reached out to ITV for comment.