After a difficult few years in the spotlight, Holly Willoughby is resurrecting.
In October 2023, the 44-year-old Dancing on Ice presenter made the decision to leave her hosting position on This Morning after a failed kidnapping plot. But now, 18 months later, Holly is feeling positive about the future and taking each day as it comes.
Following Phillip Schofield’s exit from ITV after lying about an ‘ unwise ‘ affair with a younger colleague, Holly now co-hosts the ice skating show with Stephen Mulhern. She has also taken on a solo venture as the presenter of Netflix’s new series, Celebrity Bear Hunt, with Bear Grylls.
Speaking to The Mirror earlier this month at the premiere for the show, Holly, 43, said: “All I’ve learned out of life is you never know what’s around the corner. So, I’m like, one day at a time, one step at a time, just like in the jungle”.
After security guard Gavin Plumb was imprisoned for facilitating a plot to kidnap, rape, and murder her, she made her first TV promo appearance. Asked if the series represents a fresh start, Holly said: “I think when you do anything new, it feels like that. Additionally, it’s beneficial to try new things and travel new places. This seemed like the right decision at the right time because I’ve never been to Central America before. Sometimes it’s comforting to step outside your comfort zone.
Holly left her TV producer husband, Dan Baldwin, and their children, Harry, 15, Belle, 13, and Chester, 10, at home for three weeks of filming in Costa Rica. She said, “My kids are getting that little older now, so it felt like the right time to start moving forward.”
In July last year, Holly and Dan purchased a new family home, reportedly worth £8 million, and renovated it before moving in. Following the kidnap plot, the family-of-five reportedly installed state-of-the-art security systems for safety and have since not shared a single glimpse of it online.
Holly recently discussed moving on and described the challenges the past year has been. She told The Times: “It’s been a tough one. There’s no way of sugar-coating it. Nothing can make that kind of preparation. When something like that happens, you have a decision to make. You either decide, right, I can take this on board, and it can absolutely affect all aspects of my life. Or I can make a choice to go, let’s focus on everything that’s positive and good, all those important things”.
Plumb was handed three life sentences, each carrying a minimum jail term of 15 years and 85 days. Holly, who had co-starred on This Morning with Phillip for more than ten years, was arrested months after his upheaval. At the time, she said she found it “very hurtful” that Phil had lied to her about his secret relationship. She later said that she found it “hard to see the toll that]the scandal had] taken on]his] mental health”.
Phil told The Sun in 2023: “I’ve lost my best friend. I let her down”. He claimed that Holly was unaware of their relationship and that she had received a letter of apology from him. Phil, however, stated: “She didn’t reply and I understand why she didn’t reply”.
Six months after Phil’s exit, Holly too announced her departure from This Morning. She claimed she had chosen to care for her family and herself at the time. However, Holly has maintained her close friendships with the host, and her ITV family has expressed her deepest miss. They all reunited at the National Television Awards in September, and Josie Gibson, a co-host, told The Sun that they “absolutely adore” Holly and that she was “one of the greatest broadcasters of all time.” Josie also revealed the team “miss her terribly”.
Source: Mirror
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