Former This Morning host Phillip Schofield was forced to break his silence on rumours about him receiving a new job when his lawyer was approached for comment.

The presenter, who had worked on the popular ITV morning show for nearly 20 years, was fired by ITV after he was said to have misled the broadcaster over an affair with a younger male co-star.

In the weeks leading up to his dismissal, it was claimed that the relationship between him and co-host Holly Willoughby had deteriorated.

Since his departure, the role of co-star has been filled by a number of ITV presenters with Dermot O'Leary most recently filling the vacant sofa.

However, rumours have since circulated that Phillip Schofield is in line for a new job after a PR expert speculated on the matter.

Expert Andy Barr said: "TalkTV could be the career rebuilding platform that Schofield needs right now.

"If the current media spotlight reveals no new allegations then this is entirely recoverable for him and TalkTV could be the perfect place for him to start again in a high-profile media environment."

However, he told the Daily Star that he should take time away from the limelight for his mental health, adding: "I think the public will expect him to have a career break before announcing his comeback."

When asked by The Mirror newspaper about the prospect of a new job for the 61-year-old, his lawyer said: "Absolutely not as far as I know."

Jeremy Clarkson 'baffled' by the Phillip Schofield 'witch hunt'

Recently, Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson spoke out about the This Morning saga, calling it a "witch hunt".

He wrote in a column: "He maintains that his lover was over the age of consent when their relationship became physical, but that hasn’t silenced the howls of disgust.

“And I find that weird. We casually roll our eyes when we hear that Leonardo DiCaprio’s new girlfriend is three and we even nod appreciatively when we learn that the age gap between Al Pacino and his pregnant girlfriend is 54 years.”

He went on to add: “I’ve never seen a witch-hunt like it, and what baffles me most of all is that, as things stand, no crime has been committed."