Phillip Schofield has reached out to Jeremy Clarkson ahead of his suspected return to TV.
The presenter, 62, recently returned to social media after a year-long hiatus from public life, sparked when he quit ITV – along with his shows This Morning and Dancing On Ice – after admitting to lying about an affair with a younger colleague.
Over 79,000 people have liked Phil’s comeback Instagram post, shared earlier this month, which was a picture of his dog Alfie watching the racing on TV from a bed.
Now, he’s posted from this similar position once again, this time with a video of Alfie watching the third season of Amazon Prime show Clarkson’s Farm, starring Jeremy Clarkson.
Reaching out to the former Top Gear star via the clip, Phil tagged Jeremy in the video and wrote of his dog: ‘Thank goodness we love watching the same shows.. he’s obsessed with Clarkson’s farm!’
Phil was watching season three of the farming show, which sees Jeremy continue to try and make a living from his aptly named Diddly Squat Farm.
In a second video, Alfie can be seen barking at Jeremy’s pigs on TV as they ran around a paddock.
Despite still boasting a huge net worth even with his TV departure, the presenter hasn’t worked in the public eye ever since the noise around his ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair.
Phillip’s social media return came as it was reported that he is considering a TV comeback – in a move which is said to have been egged on by Saturday Night Takeaway star Declan Donnelly.
Pictures obtained by The Sun revealed that the pair spent four hours together on a dinner date near their London homes.
Sources close to Schofield have revealed that he still has support from his former television colleagues, many of whom are believed to be pushing for him to return to work.
‘Since he left This Morning, Phil has been held up by the support of friends like Ant, Dec and Alison Hammond,’ said one source.
‘They have all been rallying around him and their support, especially from Dec who is such a good friend, has really helped Phil.
‘Some TV executives have been in touch with Phil about a possible return and his friends have told him he should consider it.
‘Phil is still shell-shocked by everything that happened last year and is happy at the moment to focus on rebuilding his life with the support of his friends and family.
‘Whether he will make a comeback — whether it’s on TV or radio — is still undecided but the offers are there if he wants to pursue them,’ this source added.
Phil previously separated from his wife, Stephanie, in 2020, after coming out as gay. However, he remains close to his wife and two grown-up daughters, who have supported him since his TV departure last May.
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