ITV This Morning's Craig Doyle breaks silence on Phillip Schofield's 'imminent' comeback

Craig Doyle, the current face of This Morning, has spilled the beans on his relationship with the embattled former presenter Phillip Schofield.

The 61-year-old Schofield, who took a step back from the limelight in 2023 after confessing to an "unwise but not illegal" affair and experiencing a rift with his former co-host Holly Willoughby, is gearing up for a major television return this year.

Spotted recently with Declan Donnelly and cautiously re-engaging with fans via social media updates about his dog, Schofield seems poised for a comeback.

Doyle, who stepped into the This Morning spotlight alongside Holly in 2022 following Phillip's dramatic departure, has candidly expressed that he hasn't had any recent contact with Schofield. In an intimate reveal to Woman magazine, Craig disclosed: "I spoke to Holly recently, and she's in great form and she's about to go off on her travels somewhere."

He continued, touching on the distressing period Holly faced due to a stalker: "She had a really traumatic time and it was scary for her, that stalker business, but she's good and happy."

On the topic of Schofield, Craig admitted: "I haven't spoken to Phil, just because I haven't been around, but I wish him well - I wish them all well," reports the Mirror.

Reflecting on his past experiences with Schofield, Doyle reminisced, saying working with him felt like "sitting having a coffee with a friend".

He went on to say "all of them [on the show] have that vibe" and, despite the fact that "people have their views on different people", he personally "found them all great". In an upbeat post from last week, Phillip mentioned how he was "loving life", sharing an adorable snap of his newest furry family member, puppy Alfie.

The storm-hit morning TV favourite Phillip openly acknowledged last year's scandal, involving a clandestine liaison with a junior colleague, which took a heavy toll on his public standing.

Having been markedly less visible during the aftermath and steering clear of social media, Phillip owned up to deceiving both his kin and superiors about the covert affair, culminating in a candid BBC interview where he disclosed how vital his daughter had been in holding him back from the brink, expressing his feelings of being 'broken and ashamed'. Withdrawing to a quiet spell out of the harsh spotlight, he sought refuge and solace among family down in Cornwall.

His longstanding colleague, Lorraine Kelly, offered her loyalty amidst his trials, disclosing earlier this year to The Sunday Times Magazine: "I was heartbroken when all that happened. It's just a shame for the amazing career that he's had, for it to end like that."

Renowned crisis management expert Edward Coram James, CEO of Go Up, commented to the Mirror on Schofield's likelihood of making a return to television: "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."

James elucidated, "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."

Phillip is thought to have contacted his former co-star Holly, with whom he worked for 14 years, after she was targeted in a kidnap and murder plot. It has been reported that Phil reached out to Holly, who was "horrified" by the news, and she was "really happy" to hear from him.

"Phil's decision to reach out, and the welcome it has been received with by Holly, shows that there is still a bond there," an insider revealed to the Mirror. "The hope is they can regain some of the ground lost, and support each other again."