Phillip Schofield is reportedly in line for a high-paying radio position following his highly publicised departure from This Morning.
In May, the 61-year-old anchor resigned from ITV and its flagship breakfast show after confessing to a ‘unwise but not criminal’ romance with a younger colleague.
His departure spurred further charges that the show was developing a poisonous bullying culture, with people including Dr Ranj Singh and Eamonn Holmes speaking out.
This week, the results from an external review into the facts was released, with ITV being found to have ‘made considerable efforts to determine the truth about an alleged relationship’.
Schofield’reluctantly rejected’ to participate due to ‘the risk to his health,’ according to the report.
While Schofield did aid the young guy in the early days of his career at ITV, the individual’seems to have forged his way on his own’ after that.
Following the publishing of the study, it has now been stated that Schofield may be returning to the public spotlight shortly, but on the radio rather than television.
The Daily Mail has reported he is being tipped for a job on national radio with Britain’s largest commercial stations said to be ‘jostling to bring him in to woo new listeners from rivals, including BBC Radio 2’.
Industry insiders have told the publication that the findings of the report now ‘opens the door’ to him ‘getting a new big-money deal to return to work next year’.
While the source said a TV return was ‘unlikely for now’, they said that a ‘line in the sand’ has now been drawn.
‘Within a period of time there is now a place for Phillip to return, possibly not on TV yet, but there is now a myriad of opportunities for him on commercial radio where he will be offered big money to return to his first love,’ they said.
‘The KC’s report gives him a fresh chance – but nobody will be surprised at all to see that ITV has found itself in the clear as it tries to save This Morning’.
Schofield started out in local radio in New Zealand as a teenager before joining the BBC, hosting a popular show on Radio 1 while presenting Going Live.
He joined This Morning in 2002 and has subsequently gone on to host other series such as Dancing on Ice and The Cube.
His predecessors, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, have put their support behind him in recent weeks, asking why he had to quit This Morning.
Judy, who launched and co-hosted the show alongside husband Richard from 1988 until 2001 said: ‘I couldn’t understand why Phillip had to go.’
Her spouse had stated that he supported Schofield.
In an interview with The Sun, he described his treatment as a “pretty savage outcome after 21 years (on the job).”
‘It seemed quite brutal to be honest.’
He went on to explain he ‘took a paternal interest in it’ and kept in touch with Schofield, telling him to ‘take it easy and that it’ll be all right’.
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1.
