PHILLIP SCHOFIELD’S Robinson Crusoe-styled attempt to redeem and rehabilitate his TV career isn’t new. Disgraced and failed leaders have been at this for centuries.

Justinian II ruled the successful Byzantine Empire in the late 7th century for a decade, until his self-indulgent lifestyle and tax hikes led to his exile and nose being cut off.

Yet, he made a remarkable Lazarus-like comeback 10 years later - re-taking his throne before being executed in 711AD. What goes up comes down.

One of the greatest comebacks was Vladimir Lenin who was exiled to Siberia for sedition.

Lenin spent years in Western Europe before returning to win a revolutionary civil war, executing Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family and founding one of the greatest superpowers of the 20th century.

I’m not suggesting Mr Schofield is the league of emperors or world leaders, but rather that there is a common theme here. The pursuit of power, vanity or self-adulation is incredibly addictive for some people.

From last week’s viewing figures and public opinion, Gordon the Gopher may have a better TV comeback chance.

Speaking of wannabe comeback kids, we have two clear front runners – Donald Trump – and more curiously, our disgraced and hapless former PM, Boris Johnson.

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Trump is running for a second term as president of the United States on 5 November.

The only US president to win two non-consecutive terms was Grover Cleveland who took Presidential office in 1884 and then eight years later in 1892. Can Trump pull this off?

What seems remarkable is how Donald Trump can even be a Presidential candidate as a convicted felon on 34 charges of falsifying business records.

The Teflon Trump awaits sentencing on his NYC hush money case and has ongoing criminal proceedings for election interference in Washington D.C., while proceedings in Georgia have been paused.

Trump has a slew of personal scandals and allegations of unspeakable behaviour against him, yet none of this seems to concern his core voter base.

Having no shame seems to work for Donald Trump. Rebutting any accusations as fake news and never apologising for anything is all part of the Trump playbook.

Back in Blighty, our own inverted pyramid of piffle, Boris Johnson – yes, he who resigned as PM in disgrace after enjoying boozy parties during Covid-19 lockdowns – is also doing a Schofield-comeback.

Johnson has given interviews last week saying his “unreserved apology” for the Partygate scandal was being sucked back up the pipe. His apology was being retracted as he tried to punt a book of his memoirs.

Johnson may like to see himself as Dionysus – the Greek god of wine, parties and madness with curly flowing locks of blonde hair. Most people I suspect see him as an incompetent, greedy, political scoundrel.

Johnson craves attention like Trump and will say anything to get it.

His latest call for a referendum on leaving the European Convention on Human Rights is a sad attempt to sound relevant by stoking divisions in our society.

That happened with the Brexit referendum and the public was sold a false prospectus. Our economy has suffered from Brexit and we have lost so much.

What human right would Boris Johnson wish to see abolished? Such proposals are risible.

It’s time for self-awareness and truth to come back into politics.