CAST AWAY: CHANNEL 5 CONFIRMS NEW SERIES WITH PHILLIP SCHOFIELD

Phillip Schofield is to return to television in an exclusive 3-part series for Channel 5. Making his first television appearance in over 12 months, Phillip tells his own personal story in an emotionally charged ultimate survival experience Phillip Schofield Cast Away, produced by award-winning Burning Bright Productions.

The 3 x 60’ series will air across three nights from Monday 30th September to Wednesday 2nd October at 9pm. It follows Phillip as he is cast away for ten days and nine nights on a remote, unpopulated island off the coast of Madagascar.

An authentic and intense physical and mental challenge, Phillip is left alone with only a handful of cameras to document his own experience. This solitary island existence presents an opportunity for Phillip to confront the challenges of total isolation, the forces of nature and provides the time to battle within his own mind as he explores his own controversial story. 

While Phillip is alone on the island the production team will be stationed 30 minutes offshore, only to intervene in the event of an extreme emergency. Phillip’s mental health and physical safety is monitored as the experience progresses. 

 Phillip Schofield says: “This is most definitely a first for me and the only thing I felt compelled to do. It appealed to me on so many levels. I’ve recently had a lot of time to think about my life, what went right and what went wrong, but I’ve always had the safe arms of friends and family wrapped around me...

"This time it’s just me, no ‘phone, no comforts, no crew and only lip balm as a luxury. I’m looking forward to exploring the island, trying to tie knots to secure my shelter and foraging and fending for myself in the wild … with no help. Maybe I’ll be Robinson Crusoe, or maybe I’ll just be Tom Hank’s Wilson and quietly drift off into the wild blue yonder!!” 

Channel 5 Commissioning Editor, Guy Davies, says: “This isn’t just a survival challenge, it’s chance for Phillip to look back over the last explosive 18 months of his life, and explore what happened. The audience will learn how he feels now about television and the future, as well as the past. And it will be Phillip Schofield as we have never seen him before – unguarded, emotional and brutally honest…”.

Executive Producer and MD at Burning Bright Productions, Clive Tulloh, says: “We are very excited about this powerful and emotional series. It is much watch tv. It gives a whole new meaning to survival.”

Phillip Schofield Cast Away is commissioned by Guy Davies for Channel 5, and executive produced by Clive Tulloh and Louise Quayle at Burning Bright Productions. The Producer-Director is Ewen Thomson.