A PR guru says TV executives need Phillip Schofield more than he needs them as the TV presenter appears to be preparing for a return to our screens. Schofield has been off the air since last May when he quit This Morning and Dancing on Ice after admitting an affair with a younger colleague. As well as losing all his TV, presenting and public roles, Schofield shut down his social media accounts and had posted nothing until he shared a picture of his dog watching TV earlier this month.
The post came just after pictures circulated showing Schofield enjoying a night out with friend and colleague Declan Donnelly. Crisis management expert Edward Coram James, CEO of Go Up , told the Mirror : "It takes serious, serious discipline to go radio silent for as long as Schofield did. Crucially, his discipline allowed him to go through the crisis without compromising his personal brand.
"Time and again we see brands based on kindness and gentleness fall apart at times of crisis. Famous faces known for spreading messages of love and tolerance undermined by private reports of bullying. Celebrities famed for their kindness reacting cruelly to criticism.
Few things can damage a brand faster than the perception of hypocrisy, or the feeling that they have spread a false narrative about who they are and what they stand for. "Schofield managed not only to navigate his crisis with discipline, he managed to navigate it with kindness. Kindness to himself, and kindness to others.
The kindness to himsel.
