Phillip Schofield releases first statement following news of TV return

He said the show is his 'story of survival, both on a desert island and off it'

It was confirmed on Tuesday night that the presenter will be starring in Channel 5's new series Cast Away, which sees him stranded on the coast of Madagascar for 10 days with no crew.

This will be his first television appearance since he resigned from ITV after admitting to lying about an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a colleague during his time as This Morning presenter.

In a post on Instagram following the confirmation of his TV return, Schofield said Cast Away was his "story of survival, both on a desert island and off it."

He wrote: "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."

The 62-year-old also shared pictures from his time on the island.

Cast Away will see Schofield stranded on the coast of Madagascar for 10 days, with no crew and only a handful of cameras to document his experience.

A trailer for the show was released on Monday, and teased that it will feature “one celebrity on a desert island totally alone with one chance to finally tell his story.”

Schofield had to fend for himself on the island, and each episode will show his “raw experience” of “both physical survival and the emotional toll of solitude,” TV Zone reports.

Cast Away aims to offer an intimate exploration of the human spirit and the limits of endurance, according to Channel 5.

Schofield hasn’t been involved in television since he stepped down from his role as This Morning host and quit ITV after admitting he had lied about his "unwise but not illegal" relationship with a younger male colleague.

This was followed by allegations of a “toxic culture” at This Morning during Schofield’s time as host, although an external review found there was no evidence of this.

He was also replaced as host of Dancing on Ice and The British Soap Awards.

Cast Away starts on Monday, September 30, on Channel 5 at 9pm.