1993–2023: ITV presenting
In August 2002, Schofield became a presenter on the ITV daytime show This Morning, joining John Leslie and Fern Britton on Fridays. In October of that year, Leslie stepped aside from the programme after allegations about his personal life, and Schofield replaced him as Britton's co-host, first on a temporary and then a permanent basis. In May 2008, Schofield's father died from a long-standing heart condition, after which Schofield took a break from presenting This Morning. John Barrowman stood in for him until his return. In 2009, Holly Willoughby replaced Britton as Schofield's co-host. Schofield and Willoughby had a close friendship, with Schofield describing her as "the sister he never had", and they presented the programme together from Monday to Thursday mornings until Schofield's departure in May 2023. Willougby departed the programme in October 2023.
During his 2005 Room 101 appearance, Schofield made an attempt to place Gordon in Room 101 (i.e., consign him to the past), but in an audience vote Gordon was spared. Gordon also made a brief appearance with Schofield during a 1980s-themed edition of Dancing on Ice in February 2009. He also made a brief appearance on 5 February 2012, edition. Gordon appeared on This Morning on 13 September 2010, to celebrate Schofield's 25th anniversary of first presenting CBBC. Schofield said "I miss him". Starting in 2005, Schofield presented two series of Have I Been Here Before?, a daytime programme in which a celebrity attempted to use regression to get in touch with a previous life.
From 2006 to 2023, he presented The British Soap Awards. Between 2006 and 2008, he hosted the programme with Britton. During the run of the ITV reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, he co-hosted the spin-off series I'm a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here! Exclusive with Sheree Murphy. The show lasted one series. In 2006, Schofield presented two episodes of the ITV game show It's Now or Never, before the network cancelled the show, due to poor ratings. In April 2008, he and Britton began hosting a revival of the ITV game show Mr and Mrs, renamed as All Star Mr & Mrs. In 2010, the show took a break but returned in 2012 without Britton.
Schofield presented Dancing on Ice on ITV with Willoughby from 2006 until 2011 and Christine Bleakley from 2012 until 2014. It was announced in the summer of 2013 that Dancing on Ice was to come to an end following the 2014 series. Schofield returned to co-present the show with Willoughby in 2018 following ITV's choice to bring the series back after four years away. From 2009 until 2015, he presented the primetime game show The Cube, which offered contestants the chance to win a top prize of £250,000. Schofield returned to present the show in 2020 following ITV's choice to reboot the series after five years away, although it was later put on hiatus again in 2022. The only winner of the series was runner Mo Farah, who successfully completed the final game on an episode of a 2012 celebrity series in which British gold medallist athletes competed for charity.
Schofield hosted A Night of Heroes: The Sun Military Awards with Amanda Holden from 2009 until 2014. In 2010 and 2011, Schofield hosted the annual comedy show The Comedy Annual on ITV. From 2011 until 2015, He co-hosted the Christmas charity show Text Santa on ITV with Bleakley in 2011, 2014 and 2015 and Willoughby in 2012 and 2013. In December 2014, he undertook a live 24-hour TV marathon to raise money for Text Santa, where, as well as appearing on This Morning, he appeared on various other programmes throughout the day, including being a guest panellist on Loose Women.
In March 2014, Schofield narrated the one-off ITV2 show Educating Joey Essex. The show was commissioned for a full series which was aired throughout 2014. The show was commissioned for a seven-part second series, filming began in April 2016, and the series aired in summer 2016 with the first episode titled "The Queen's 90th Birthday". He presented two series of the primetime game show You're Back in the Room for ITV in 2015 and 2016. In 2018, Schofield and Willoughby made a cameo appearance on Coronation Street, when they interviewed Rosie Webster, Craig Tinker and Gemma Winter on This Morning after their role in a drugs bust at Underworld.
In 2016, Schofield travelled to South Africa with his wife Stephanie Lowe, as part of a series of short clips for This Morning. Following this, ITV aired three thirty-minute episodes in a primetime slot, called Schofield's South African Adventure. Since March 2017, he has presented 5 Gold Rings, a new game show format for ITV. In 2017, Schofield presented three-part factual series How To Spend It Well at Christmas with Phillip Schofield in which he tested the latest must-have festive gifts. The series concluded in 2022.
From 2011 to 2022, Schofield was involved in several television programmes about the British royal family. In April 2011 and June 2012, Schofield co-hosted ITV's coverage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton's wedding and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with Julie Etchingham, and in May 2018 they co-hosted ITV's coverage of Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's wedding. In 2016, Schofield worked with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on the programme When Phillip Met Prince Philip: 60 Years of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the youth awards programme. Following Prince Phillip's death in April 2021, Schofield co-hosted the ITV tribute programme Prince Philip, Fondly Remembered with Etchingham. During the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Schofield presented two programmes celebrating the occasion; first with Willoughby on This Morning at Windsor Castle and secondly the ITV programme The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebration, co-hosted by Etchingham.
Amid the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal on 8 November 2012, Schofield interviewed then prime minister David Cameron on This Morning and presented him with a list he had obtained from the internet of five people named as paedophiles in connection with the North Wales child abuse scandal. The names of several former senior Conservative politicians were visible on the list on screen. Cameron responded by warning against a witchhunt, "particularly about people who are gay". Schofield was widely criticised for his action, with broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby describing his behaviour as "cretinous". ITV's director of television, Peter Fincham, said that Schofield was "wrong" in confronting Cameron and the broadcaster had agreed to co-operate fully with government regulator Ofcom's investigation into the matter. The investigation was initiated after Ofcom received 415 complaints from viewers. Schofield later apologised, blaming a misjudged camera angle. Schofield and ITV later paid £125,000 compensation to settle a libel suit from one of those falsely accused, Alistair McAlpine, Baron McAlpine of West Green.
In December 2019, during the 2019 general election, Schofield and Willoughby were criticised for a "giggly" interview with then prime minister Boris Johnson. The co-hosts' decision to take a selfie with Johnson was also criticised, and viewers raised a "lack of professionalism" and "clear bias". Schofield defended the stunt writing: "Can I point out that if Mr Corbyn had asked for a selfie, we would have happily obliged." Viewers argued that the pair had been more critical when interviewing Jeremy Corbyn, who faced repeated calls to apologise for accusations of antisemitism in the Labour Party. Viewers noted that Islamophobia in the Conservative Party was not raised with Johnson. Ofcom received 149 complaints.
On 5 September 2022, This Morning included a new prize of "energy bills" in their regular "spin to win" game. The prize equated to four months of payments, up to £400 each month. When a contestant failed to provide the qualifying passcode on air This Morning ended the phone call, prompting Willoughby to say, "Well, we're not going to make Joyce's dreams come true." Schofield replied, "Well it's her fault." Schofield asked the first qualifying contestant if they were "worried" about energy bills and the contestant replied that "it's absolutely murder" having a prepayment meter. The inclusion of bill payments was compared to Black Mirror or The Hunger Games. Coverage from Sky News asked "Is Russia using Phillip Schofield for propaganda?" after the game was reported on Russian state television. British politician Mary Kelly Foy tweeted:I'm disgusted that @thismorning have used people being unable to afford their energy bills as some kind of twisted gameshow. The producers need to rethink this immediately! Everyone deserves dignity, especially if they're struggling.On 6 September 2022, Schofield referenced the controversy by saying, "I wonder how much of that they can complain about online." Ofcom received 170 complaints about the segment and it prompted widespread criticism from viewers and commentators. Ofcom's broadcasting code states that: "We would strongly advise broadcasters not to present a monetary prize as a possible resolution of financial difficulty." On 7 September 2022, the prize was removed without comment from ITV.
Amid the Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, Schofield and Willoughby drew criticism for not joining the Queue for the lying-in-state of Elizabeth II with the public, when filming at Queen Elizabeth II's lying-in-state in Westminster Hall on 17 September 2022. ITV said that Schofield and Willougby were escorted from the press gallery by government staff and did not file past the Queen's coffin. Social media users contrasted this with the actions of former prime minister Theresa May and other celebrities including David Beckham, Susanna Reid and Tim Vine, all of whom queued for many hours with members of the general public. Online petitions were also organised calling for the pair to be sacked.
Schofield wrote in his memoir that, in 2009, Britton accused him of meddling in the show and left because of this. Since the departure of Schofield and the revelation of his extramarital affair with a much younger male ITV co-worker, several people involved in the show have alleged a toxic culture operated. Ruth Langsford made a complaint to ITV while she worked there. Eamonn Holmes stated Schofield was "a narcissist and a bully at the centre of the toxicity." Media personality and singer Kerry Katona described it as "fake" and her interview (as a guest) by Schofield and Willoughby "belittling". Television personality and cleaner Kim Woodburn, who appeared on the show after leaving the Celebrity Big Brother house, branded Schofield and Willoughby "phoney" and "two-faced" on the show. Dr Ranj Singh said in 2023 he had made an official complaint of a toxic culture and been managed out. ITV confirmed an external adviser carried out an investigation in 2021. Former Secretary of State for Culture Nadine Dorries questioned the culture and working practices of the show. Questions over safeguarding and complaint handling by ITV were raised generally and on 14 June Carolyn McCall answered to MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. Loose Women panellist Carol McGiffin said This Morning was "tainted" and her colleagues did not like the show or Schofield's handover to them. A former production staff member also criticised the working culture which led to her resignation. Schofield, Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary all denied allegations of a toxic culture.
