Jeremy Clarkson reveals harrowing call he had with Phillip Schofield when news of affair broke

Jeremy Clarkson is actually nicer than people think - he called Phillip Schofield, although they weren't really pals, as he was 'cross' with the way he had been treated

Jeremy Clarkson has revealed he had a harrowing phone call with Phillip Schofield when news of his affair broke.

Even though the pair aren’t really pals, the Clarkson’s Farm star said he was ‘actually quite cross’ with the way Phil was treated in the wake of the scandal, so he called him up and they ended up having a long chat.

Harrowingly describing 62-year-old Phil as a ‘broken man’ when they spoke last year, Clarkson said it was like he ‘could see no way back’ as his 35-year TV career seemed like it was finished. But with news this week that Phil will be back on TV screens from Monday, Clarkson said he is ‘delighted’ he’s managed to get his life back on track.

Phil will make his big TV return on Channel 5’s Cast Away, which will see him marooned on a tropical island off the coast of Madagascar and left to fend for himself for 10 days. During the three-part show, which airs consecutively until Wednesday night, he will talk about his ‘unwise, but not illegal’ affair, what really happened at This Morning behind the scenes and what he plans to do in the future.

Writing in his column for The Sun, 64-year-old Clarkson penned: “When Phillip Schofield announced on morning television that he was gay, everyone rallied round and said how brave he’d been. But when it turned out that he’d actually done gay stuff, he was sacked, cancelled, eviscerated and swept into the bucket of history marked ‘disgraced, ageing TV stars.’

"I was actually quite cross about this, so even though I don’t know him at all well, I called him up and we had a long chat. It was like talking to a completely broken man, because he could see no way back. I was therefore delighted to hear this week that he’s managed it.

“He’s been on a small island with nothing but a camera for company, and he’s made some kind of soul-searching documentary which will be aired on Channel 5 next week. And looking at the pictures, I couldn’t help thinking: Hmmm. Couldn’t we all do with a break like that?”

In the programme, viewers will see a dishevelled Phil stranded on a tropical island for 10 days. Speaking about his new role, a source told The Sun: "Over the past few months Phil has had quite a few offers for various things - but has steadfastly turned them all down. This sort of challenge has always appealed to him though and after consulting with friends and family, he decided to go for it. It's all been top secret, and has been an incredibly quick turnaround in order to keep the news quiet."

"With 10 days to himself, no camera crews or production around, he shot some unbelievably raw footage - some of it makes for tough, emotional viewing. But he wanted a chance to share his story, unedited and honest, and let viewers see another side to him," they added.

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