TV Phil to be new Judith Chalmers Schofe’s passport to front Wish You Were Here-style show
We’re used to seeing silver fox Phillip Schofield perched on the This Morning sofa. But word reaches me that Phil could soon be prising himself off the upholstery and filling travel queen Judith Chalmer’s shoes – with his very own Wish You Were Here show.
The king of daytime TV has already landed a prime-time three-part travel series after filming a mini-strand in South Africa with his wife Stephanie for This Morning.
Schofield’s South African Adventure starts on Friday on ITV at 8pm, and I for one look forward to seeing him get up close and personal with a great white shark in the wild.
And let’s face it, he’s interviewed Kim Woodburn on the sofa with Holly, so he’s used to dealing with slippery fish.
But if his latest dalliance proves a ratings hit, eagle-eyed telly bosses could be offering him a bigger travel slot.
A TV insider said: “Phil’s TV gold and his This Morning mini travel blog was a huge hit, so it made sense to turn it into a bigger series. It’s unlikely it won’t get great viewing figures.
“There’s a gap in the schedules for a good, newly formatted travel show – and given that he’s already got a huge following, it’s a no-brainer that more of Schofe’s adventures across the world could follow.” I, for one, can’t wait to see our Phillip crack out a few Hawaiian shirts and notch up some serious air miles.
And there’s a major lack of new travel shows on the box and I’m sick of watching endless repeats.
I just hope that, unlike our Judith, who admitted she filmed Wish You Were Here knickerless to avoid a VPL on camera, Phil keeps his kecks on. The best on-demand series I’ve watched recently is... The Netflix drama with Kevin Spacey – House Of Cards. It’s brilliantly acted and written. It’s almost like art imitating life. I also love Ray Donovan. I think Jon Voight is incredible in it. Ross Kemp: Libya’s Migrant Hell premieres on Tuesday at 9pm on Sky 1