Chesney Hawkes recently broke his silence on a decades-long grudge, calling disgraced former ITV presenter Phillip Schofield a "b*****d" over a savage joke made at the singer's expense. The 90s pop star has spent years shrugging off mockery from critics who labelled him a one-hit wonder. But now that he is gearing up for a career comeback with his first album in a decade, the singer is addressing the backlash he received after his rapid rise to fame.

One moment in particular that stuck with Hawkes was when Schofield took part in a sketch where he pretended to push him into hell with a pitchfork at the 1991 Smash Hits Poll Winners' Party. The televised skit featured a mock version of Hawkes, complete with a blond wig and fake mole, who was condemned to eternal musical damnation.

Hawkes opened up about how that moment made him feel during an interview with the Mirror in November 2024, saying:"Phillip Schofield...b*****d. I remember that moment as I was only a kid, I was 19. At first, Phillip was one of the first people who was very nice to me. We did all the TV shows like Live and Kicking in those days and the Radio 1 roadshows. And suddenly, they turned against me."

Hawkes topped UK charts with his hit single The One and Only for five weeks in 1991, but the singer soon found himself an outsider in the British music scene as it became dominated by grunge and Britpop. This made him an easy target for industry figures who didn't think he fit in with the times.

Piers Morgan also took a swipe at the young star, which led to real life consequences for the political broadcaster at the 1992 Ivor Novello Awards, where Hawkes’ father reportedly poured a pint of lager over him.

Looking back on his early experiences in the music industry, Hawkes believes it's important for critics to think about how their words can impact young artists. He added: "How does this happen? They were all old enough to know better. Those moments were really difficult. I kind of had to push it down and think it was just water off a duck's back, but it is not until later on that I thought it was proper sh*t and not acceptable."

Now the singer is getting the last laugh at those who made fun of him for being a nobody, as he makes his reality TV debut on Celebrity Big Brother tonight. Although he remained coy when questioned about his appearance on the show while on BBC Breakfast, he has now been confirmed as part of the star-studded line-up

A TV insider previously hinted at Hawkes' inclusion, telling the Sun: "Chesney Hawkes is one of those rare British celebrities who crosses generational divides. Everyone knows The One and Only, even if the youngsters might not recognize his name. He's also had decades in showbiz, so CBB bosses hope he'll be loose-lipped about celebrity encounters over the years, just like Louis Walsh last year."

Back in 2023, Phillip Schofield stepped down from his ITV duties after an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague.