Phillip Schofield's serious discipline, kindness pave way for powerful comeback

Phillip Schofield disciplined behaviour is now being considered in a position to make a strong and influential return to the public eye.

Last year, the TV veteran made headlines when he abruptly left ITV after admitting to an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a younger male colleague. Since then, he has remained out of the public eye.

Schofield, who had dominated daytime TV with This Morning for 21 years, apologized for lying about the relationship. His management team severed ties, and his close friend Holly Willoughby expressed feelings of betrayal. Schofield described his life as collapsing, stating he had "lost everything."

Recently, however, Schofield was spotted with Declan Donnelly, leading to speculation that he might join Donnelly on I'm A Celebrity in an effort to rehabilitate his image. He also ended a year-long hiatus from social media last week, prompting some fans to predict a comeback.

A PR expert now believes that Schofield's disciplined approach over the past year is paying off, a sentiment reflected in his cryptic Instagram tagline.

Analysing how the former beloved presenter, once known as the 'king of daytime TV', has handled the situation, crisis management pro Edward Coram James, CEO of Go Up, told the Mirror: "It takes serious, serious discipline to go radio silent for as long as Schofield did. 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.

On the latest comeback rumours, the PR expert said: "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."