With suspicions spreading that the This Morning controversies may be transformed into a TV drama, the question on everyone’s lips is: who could portray Phillip Schofield?
Fortunately, the bookies have done their homework and a clear favourite has emerged: none other than Happy Valley star James Norton, who is also one of the favourites to portray James Bond.
BoyleSports has James at 4/1 to portray the former ITV presenter, with Michael Sheen close behind, considering his habit of mimicking important personalities in biopics such as Tony Blair, David Frost, Kenneth Williams, and Brian Clough.
Michael is a 6/1 shot to face Phillip, 61, with Steve Pemberton (7/1), David Tennant (8/1) and Martin Compston (9/1) all on the list of possible opponents.
At 14/1, Jamie Dornan is in the running to play the ex-Dancing On Ice host, while at 50/1, the ITV exile ends up playing the part himself.
Lawrence Lyons, a spokesperson for BoyleSports, said: ‘The make-up department would have to add a few years to James Norton, but we reckon he could turn his hand to anything and we’d expect a blockbuster name to be the star of the show.’
According to reports, a series called The Runner is in the works to dramatise Phillip’s departure from This Morning and ITV.
Phillip resigned from all of his television projects immediately after confessing to lying about an affair with a runner, characterising their connection as ‘unwise but not unlawful.’
An insider said the rumoured TV show’s storyline ‘will reflect what went on,’ adding: ‘People have seen it from the outside but the drama will give a perspective on what may have occurred behind-closed-doors.
‘It could make for uncomfortable viewing for Phil and ITV.’
Earlier this summer, ITV executives spoke before the Culture, Media, and Sport Committee concerning Phillip’s departure from This Morning and the network.
ITV CEO Dame Carolyn McCall underlined the need of establishing “facts” following “speculation, rumours, and misinformation.”
‘The people that have said they knew would only have heard rumours,’ she claimed in regard to Schofield’s affair with the runner.
‘If any one of the individuals you referenced had come to us and said there is evidence of a relationship, with evidence, we would’ve been able to launch a formal investigation, because the imbalance of power and dynamics makes it deeply inappropriate.’
ITV also hired a solicitor to conduct an independent investigation into Phillip’s resignation from This Morning.
The investigation’s results, which are now being conducted, will be made public.
Phillip has kept a low profile since a series of bombshell interviews shortly after leaving ITV, however he has been sighted out and about in London on rare occasions.
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.
Source My Celebrity Life.