Phillip Schofield was spotted smoking an e-cigarette at a train station in West London – despite all forms of smoking being banned.
The former This Morning host, 62, blew out in the heat as he checked his phone while waiting to catch a train.
Phillip was dressed casually for the outing in a black jacket with matching trousers and a light gray polo shirt – and he was still wearing his wedding ring.
Smoking in railway stations in England has been banned since July 2007. This includes station concourses, ticket halls, on platforms – covered and uncovered – and footbridges and subways on station premises.
Smoking of electronic cigarettes is also prohibited. Those caught can be prosecuted and fined.
Phillip Schofield was spotted smoking an e-cigarette at a train station in West London – despite all forms of smoking being banned
The former This Morning presenter, 62, blew a fit as he checked his phone while waiting to catch a train
Phillip was dressed casually for the outing in a black jacket with matching trousers and a light gray polo shirt
Phillip has largely kept a low profile following his confession that he had an affair with a much younger colleague..
But in recent weeks he has slowly begun to return to the public eye with a flurry of appearances.
He was pictured in London in early May looking relaxed as he laughed and joked with close friend Declan Donnelly and his wife Ali Astall.
He is said to have just enjoyed a four-hour dinner with the ITV golden boy at a restaurant near their homes when they were seen in hysterics.
Phillip followed this up a day later by ending his nearly year-long social media hiatus by rekindling his Instagram with a sweet photo of Alfie watching Formula 1.
Daughters Ruby, 27, and Molly, 30, as well as This Morning co-host Josie Gibson, scrambled to like the post within minutes in a clear show of support.
And his darling daughter Molly is now his publicist after leaving the talent agency that once represented her father.
PR guru Mark Borkowski says his lukewarm return to the public eye has come after a year away from disappearing and joining.
Smoking in railway stations in England has been banned since July 2007. This includes station concourses, ticket halls, on platforms – covered and uncovered
Phillip has largely kept a low profile following his confession that he had an affair with a much younger colleague.
Phillip resigned this morning in a cloud of controversy after initially lying to bosses about the ‘reckless but not illegal’ relationship with the male runner 34 years her junior.
Calling him a rare talent, Borkowski said, “He’s testing the waters. But audiences are very forgiving.”
Phillip told the BBC in an emotional interview last June that the affair had ended his career and revealed the aftermath had left him feeling suicidal.
He told how his two daughters – Molly and Ruby – had saved his life and “guarded me and wouldn’t let me out of their sight”.
He admitted that during the sit-down interview with Amol Rajan he denied grooming his younger colleague, before telling critics: ‘Do you want me to die? Because here I am.’
Phillip quit This Morning in a cloud of controversy after initially lying to bosses about the ‘reckless but not illegal’ relationship with the male runner 34 years her junior.
An external review led by barrister Jane Mulcahy KC concluded that ITV had made ‘considerable efforts’ to uncover the truth when rumors began to swirl about the relationship in 2019.
This led to the breakdown of his friendship with Holly Willoughby. He texted his ex-BFF because he lied to her about his relationship
But repeated denials meant the broadcaster was unable to uncover the truth until Schofield’s admission.
The fallout from the scandal led to the breakdown of his friendship with Holly Willoughby.
After Phillip left the show in May, his co-host Holly Willoughby later left in October over an alleged kidnapping plot.
The pair were officially replaced by Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley in March, after both appeared full-time after a series of guest presenters switched daytime spots.
In March, friends of the star said he was ‘pretty sure’ he would never work again.
One said: ‘Phillip has been very, very down lately. He does not know how he will work again. It’s devastating for him to understand, but he also knows there’s not much he can do about it. He doesn’t know who will get it. He knows there’s no way he’s going back to ITV or the BBC.’
Sources close to the star say his friends are trying to encourage him to think he can have a ‘full life’ away from showbiz.
One said: ‘Just because he might not be on telly again doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy his life. Phil isn’t so sure though.’
The star has however been tipped for a job in national radio – his ‘first love’ – with Britain’s biggest commercial stations said to be trying to bring him in to lure new listeners away from rivals including BBC Radio 2.