Jeremy Clarkson reveals harrowing call he had with Phillip Schofield when news of affair broke

Jeremy Clarkson has revealed he had a harrowing phone call with Phillip Schofield when news of his affair broke.

Even though the pair aren’t really pals, the Clarkson’s Farm star said he was ‘actually quite cross’ with the way Phil was treated in the wake of the scandal, so he called him up and they ended up having a long chat.

Harrowingly describing 62-year-old Phil as a ‘broken man’ when they spoke last year, Clarkson said it was like he ‘could see no way back’ as his 35-year TV career seemed like it was finished. But with news this week that Phil will be back on TV screens from Monday, Clarkson said he is ‘delighted’ he’s managed to get his life back on track.

Phil will make his big TV return on Channel 5’s Cast Away, which will see him marooned on a tropical island off the coast of Madagascar and left to fend for himself for 10 days. During the three-part show, which airs consecutively until Wednesday night, he will talk about his ‘unwise, but not illegal’ affair, what really happened at This Morning behind the scenes and what he plans to do in the future.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson reveals real reason he quit The Grand Tour for first time

Writing in his column for The Sun, 64-year-old Clarkson penned: “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?”

Three part series, Phillip Schofield Cast Away sees him for 10 days and nine nights on a remote, unpopulated island off the coast of Madagascar. Channel Five say Phil will "confront the challenges of total isolation, the forces of nature and provide the time to battle within his own mind as he explores his own controversial story".

One TV source told the Mirror: "Phillip certainly didn't make many friends with his behaviour on This Morning in the final years but there is a degree of sympathy amongst some people for the state he finds himself in now. Celebs are not going to be lining up publicly to speak out for him but liking his messages is at least a more subtle way of wishing him luck on his new project. He will have been thrilled to see them like his messages ahead of the show starting."

Channel 5 commissioning editor Guy Davies said: "This isn't just a survival challenge, it's a 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."

*Phillip Schofield Cast Away will air at 9pm on Channel 5 from Monday September 30 to Wednesday October 2

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