Nadia Sawalha thought Phillip Schofield's 'cringe' comeback was a 'joke' as she hits out

Presenter Nadia Sawalha has addressed the news that Phillip Schofield will make his TV comeback next week.

It's been announced that Phillip, 62, will make his return to TV on Channel 5's Cast Away. Viewers are expected to see him discuss the past two years whilst stranded in Madagascar. Phil stepped down from hosting This Morning in May last year, before resigning from ITV altogether. Phil's resignation coincided with him admitting to having had an "unwise but not illegal" relationship with a younger colleague whilst on This Morning. At the time, he apologised for having previously lied about the situation and in his resignation statement stated that the "consensual on-off relationship" was "now over".

The news has prompted reaction this week, including from Phillip's former ITV colleague Nadia, who's a panelist on Loose Women. She shared her thoughts on the podcast, which she hosts with her husband Mark Adderley.

Nadia said: "[The trailer] was popping onto phones all over the place yesterday and everyone was agast. When I was first sent it, there was no message with it, so I thought it was a joke." She added: "I just couldn't believe it." She further commented: "First of all, I cringed. If I'm honest, I absolutely cringed when I saw that video. I thought 'that is so embarrassing'. That was my first feeling."

When one viewer shared that they are interested to hear Phillip's "side of the story," Nadia responded: "That's interesting because I feel he's told his side of the story. I feel like we've only heard his side of the story because he did that great big spread in the Sun [and another interview]."

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Addressing another comment from someone who suggested that the unshaven appearance of Phillip on the show is to portray that he's struggling and evoke sympathy, Nadia said: "He's also very clever so I think he understands an audience and I think he knows how to speak to an audience. So I think, yes, he'll be very, very careful."

Further sharing her thoughts, Nadia said later in the podcast: "He lied to everybody at work. He left people to do with his s**t, I feel, in my opinion." She went on to question whether he had considered his family and the individual he had a relationship with when signing up for the show, saying: "This has all got to be dredged up again." She added: "Have you taken into consideration those people's feelings? I mean, I have always felt really sorry for his wife. I really have [...] None of us will know what the discussions were, and for his kids [and] it's like, now again? You're gonna tell it all again?"

Nadia admitted that when people in the industry have previously predicted that he would return to TV she had been "naive," having thought that wouldn't be the case. She said: "There's so many people he's upset. There's so much shame involved in this and before anybody dares say this is from a homophobic point of view - it is not, at all! I would be like this right across the board."

The presenter added that she "doesn't know what happened" with Phillip but said there has to be "really clear lines" in relation to people in positions of power. Sharing her thoughts on power dynamics in showbusiness, she said: "I have always stood up and against people in positions of power and money and status. I will always stick up for the young person that was swayed by that."

"[Phillip] is long in the tooth enough to know that this is going to stir everything up for all the people he's lied to and all the people he's hurt," she said at a different point in the episode. Nadia went on to say: "I don't feel sorry for [Phillip]. I feel sorry for all the people that are in the fallout around him."

Breaking his silence on the show, Phil took to Instagram explaining his reasons for doing the show - which he films himself - posting: "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."

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