Phillip Schofield's memoir to Michael Joseph

TV presenter Phillip Schofield has revealed he is publishing his autobiography with Michael Joseph this autumn.

The deal was struck by Louise Moore, managing director of Michael Joseph, and Charlotte Hardman, publisher, acquiring UK and Commonwealth rights from Amanda Harris, director of publishing at YMU. 

Michael Joseph declined to comment on the size of the advance, revealing only that the auction was "very hotly contested".

Unconfirmed press reports last month suggested the "This Morning" host had been offered £1.5m to release a "tell-all book" after coming out as gay in February. 

MJ has emphasised the book they have acquired will be about Schofield's whole life although he is also honest about this experience. 

Titled Life’s What You Make It: The Autobiography, the book will cover "all of Phillip’s life so far". The synopsis reads: "Phillip has written about his life from his childhood growing up in Cornwall, through his early years at the BBC, and every step of a remarkable career at ITV with flair, humour and honesty. As one of the most loved and respected TV presenters in the UK, this book is everything that Phillip’s fans would want from his long-awaited and highly-anticipated memoir."

Written entirely by Schofield, it will publish in hardback, e-book and audio on 15th October 2020.

Schofield said: "I wrote the first line of the book, in my head, when I was about 14. It took me until 2017 for me to finally write the first chapter and then I stopped because the time wasn’t right. It has certainly been something of a work in progress! Over the years I have been making notes of the stories and events of my life that I thought would tell my story. Finally, in lockdown I knew that all the pieces of the jigsaw had been put into place and I was ready to write, that and a new discovery... lots of free time!  It has been a fascinating experience, both immense fun and deeply emotional. Finally, after all these years, I’m happy it’s gone from my head, to the page."

Moore said: "Phillip has written a very special memoir. Its calibre and authenticity shine through – it’s word perfect. As soon as I read it I was determined that we would publish it at MJ."

Hardman added: "We couldn’t be more proud to be working with Phillip on his memoir – he has put his heart and soul into every single word of the script. He is a naturally very talented writer and he is a dream to work with. I think his love for life shines through on the page, just as it does when he and Holly [Willoughby] find themselves getting the giggles on 'This Morning'. We’re very excited to bring Life’s What You Make It into the world this autumn."