There’s currently a weird Phillip Schofield redemption arc being played out on Channel 5 show Cast Away, where the shamed TV presenter is moping around on a tropical island on his own as he laments the last couple years of his life and how he got cancelled for carrying on an extra-marital affair with a young male co-worker.

After taking a sneaky dig at Holly Willoughby in the first episode, 62-year-old Schofield has now wound up viewers with his theory as to why there was so much controversy around him sh@gging a 20-year-old colleague, who he actually first met when the lad was 15.

In the second episode of Cast Away, Schofield says the following:

“Shamed, disgraced Phillip Schofield who had an affair.

“Strangely, I think another TV presenter or two might have done exactly the same thing. Difference is [they’re] heterosexual.”

He went on to say that age-gap relationships are ‘not an unusual thing in the gay world’.

“That’s not an unusual thing in the straight world.

“But if that had been the case with me and it had been a woman. Pat on the back. ‘Well done mate.’”

Wow, does Phillip Schofield really think that the situation would have played out differently if he’d been cheating on his wife with a 20-year-old female intern, instead of a male one? I’m not so sure he’s thought this one through.

Here’s some of the reaction on social media to Schofield’s comments:

“So he thinks he was made an example of because he’s gay? Oh ffs this is unreal. The pity party is sickening.”

“F*ck me does anyone have a tiny violin for this guy”.

“I hope anyone claiming Schofield is sorry is paying attention tonight. I’ve watched 30 seconds and he’s seriously claimed he was treated differently because he is gay – mea culpa?

Schofield has always denied any allegations of an improper relationship with the man, saying everything was ‘legal’ and ‘consensual’. He met the young man when he was 15, got him work experience at ITV when he was 19, and says he began an affair with him when he was 20. I don’t want to say he groomed the lad, but I’m not saying he didn’t groom him either.

In fairness to Schofield, he does at least admit that the affair was ‘unwise’ – gotta give him that.

The final episode of Cast Away airstonight, October 2, on Channel 5. Schofield has said that this is final TV appearance, so let’s hope he stays true to his word eh?