Speculation has mounted about the identity of 'one or two' mystery stars Phillip Schofield has suggested may have 'had an affair,' after he made the bombshell statement on his much-criticised TV comeback.

The This Morning star, 62, made the shocking claims while reflecting on his own ousting from ITV last year, following his admission that he had an 'unwise and not illegal' affair with a younger male colleague.

Phillip made his comeback to TV in the Channel 5 series Cast Away, which saw him spend 10 days alone on a remote island in Madagascar.

During the second episode, Phillip reflected on the affair scandal that led to his exit from ITV, saying: 'Shamed, disgraced Phillip Schofield who had an affair.'

'Strangely, I think another TV presenter or two might have done exactly the same thing. Difference is, heterosexual.'

Phillip then added that relationships with a multi-year age gaps are 'not an unusual thing in the gay world,' suggesting that the public reaction would have been different if his affair had been with a woman.

He continued: 'If that had been the case with me and it had been a woman. Pat on the back. ''Well done mate.'''

Phillip's comments came as he also appeared to put further strain on his relationship with his former co-presenter and best friend Holly Willoughby, after pointing the finger at 'three sh**s of showbiz' on his new desert island documentary.

He appears to blame his dramatic fall from grace on a trio of his former ITV colleagues, saying: 'I think there are only three s**ts [of showbiz].'

He pointed out that one was a 'coward who never stepped up in Queuegate,' while another 'is a coward because they never stepped up when I was being battered'.

Phillip also claimed the third 'is just brand-orientated', adding: 'Not what you expect, not what you think you're going to get.'

While Phillip does not name any individuals, speculation has mounted that he could be taking aim at Holly, who he doesn't mention at all throughout the series.

Another is thought to be This Morning editor Martin Frizell - who Schofield seemingly blames for letting him take the fall over 'Queugate', when he and Willoughby were accused of skipping the queue to see the Queen's lying in state.

Schofield, whose career was left in tatters after he admitted to lying about his affair in May last year, no longer follows Frizell on social media.

Other targets could include ITV chief Dame Carolyn McCall, who labelled Schofield's relationship with a younger staffer as 'deeply inappropriate'.

Continuing to take aim at those who he believes wrong him, Schofield added of his formerly long-standing TV career: 'They know how important that was to me.

'They know when you throw someone under a bus, you've got to have a really bloody good reason to do it. Brand, ambition is not good enough.

He went on: 'People can be fake. They can be so fake with you when it's all going well, and suddenly utter, utter betrayal.

'There are a lot of amazing people in morning television.'

Despite mentioning ITV co-stars Ant, 48, and Dec, 49, as well as Joanna Lumley, 78, his former pal Willoughby isn't mentioned at all throughout the episode.

In one outburst which will leave viewers wondering whether it is aimed at her, Schofield says: 'When you throw someone under a bus, you've got to have a really bloody good reason to do it.

'I got into telly because I love the nuts and bolts of telly, I never wanted to be famous. I'm not fussed about that.

'I miss parts of it. I miss most of it, I'm honest. But there are bits that I really, really, really don't miss. You learn a lot about people. I don't miss that.'

In the second episode of his Cast Away series, Phillip confessed that while he feels he has been 'chucked under the bus' he could easily do the same to them. 

He insisted: 'I have been chucked under a bus and I could drive the same bus over so many people but I am not that sort of person. 

'I never have been, but if I sit down with a camera and the lights going, who knows what I will say.'

The star also reflected on how his famous friends deserted him after his affair was revealed as he continued: 'I know what I did and I wish I hadn't and I know I made life tough for the people i love the most.

'But people just went, people who I thought were my friends just went. And it's like "What the hell".'

He added: 'I think another presenter or two might have done the same thing, difference is heterosexual.'

Later in episode he explained: 'It is hard to come to the fact that the people you thought you knew are not the people you knew.'

Describing the incident as 'utter utter betrayal' he concluded: 'I don't need 200 fake friends. I've got 10, 15 real friends who I would die for and they would die for me.'

Channel 5's Cast Away sees the broadcaster stranded on an uninhabited island off Madagascar for 10 days with no food or water and without a production crew.