Her life was torn apart after a terrifying plot to kidnap and kill her led to a shocking court case where a twisted loner’s evil fantasy was outlined in grim detail. But 10 months after perverted security guard Gavin Plumb was jailed for his plot against Holly Willoughby, the TV presenter is facing new agony with high-profile accounts of the crime being turned into a TV documentary and a book.
And insiders say that Holly feels as if she is being forced to ‘re-live her hell’ as her traumatic experiences are pored over.
The Plot To Kill Holly Willoughby aired last week, covering the details of Plumb’s plan to kidnap, rape and murder her, and as if the details of her shocking ordeal being brought up again wasn’t bad enough for her, it’s been revealed that a book is in the works to delve into the case.
Sources tell Closer, ‘Holly was mortified that the programme had been commissioned. She was even approached to be involved with the documentary but declined. Now, she’s been tipped off about a book about her ordeal and it’s understandably made her see red. It’s had an impact on Holly and she feels she’s re-living the hell.’
The documentary claimed to tell the ‘truth behind this shocking case, using [Plumb’s] own words to illustrate his horrific plan’, but our source says that, with the addition of a book on the way, it’s created a difficult time for Holly, 44.
‘Holly’s still vulnerable and feels that making her re-live the hell she went through is wrong – to give a man that plotted over 10 years to abduct, rape and then kill her this ‘fame’ that he craved is sick – no wonder Holly has lost faith in this industry.’ Closer approached Channel 5 for comment, with a spokesperson replying that, ‘the production company were in touch with Holly via her agent to let her know about the film.’
The shock murder plot led to Holly unexpectedly quitting her role on This Morning in October 2023. At the time she released a statement saying, ‘I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning. It’s been an honour to just be part of its story and I know this story has many chapters left to go. Sadly, however, I feel I have to make this decision for me and my family.’ While Holly made no reference to it, her exit from the show came shortly after news emerged that Plumb had appeared in court, charged with soliciting to commit murder over an alleged plot to kidnap the presenter.
Holly left five months after her former co-host, Phillip Schofield also departed the show. Holly and Phil, 63, first started working together on Dancing On Ice when it began, and in 2009 Phil brought Holly onto This Morning. They were loved by the public on screen, and were just as close off screen, with the pair’s families even holidaying together. But in 2023, Phil’s ‘consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague’ came to light (which Holly claimed Phil had lied to her about), leading to him resigning from ITV. Despite the duo being a household name, the pair have not been seen together, or had any contact with one another since.
Plumb was convicted in July 2024 after being found guilty of soliciting murder and inciting rape and kidnap. He was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of 16 years in jail. Holly spoke out about the traumatic ordeal in January saying, ‘It’s been a tough one. There’s no way of sugar-coating it. Nothing can prepare you for something like that. When something like that happens, you have a decision to make. You have to go: I choose to positively move forward and rely on all those people – the police, the court, the judge, the jury – all those people to do their role. And that’s what I had to do.’
Now that the documentary has aired on Channel 5 – the same channel as Phil’s show, Cast Away, which was his first TV appearance since leaving This Morning – just two years since the case was disclosed, Holly feels the nightmare is continuing for her.
Our source says, ‘This has, in effect, almost given [Plumb]celebrity status and Holly felt sick about that. She argues that this man doesn’t deserve the airtime, as he’ll only get off on it. She also feels she should have been given more time to heal. It’s still so raw.’ The source continues, ‘She understands the fascination in crime, but giving them that airtime is wrong, and the thought of him watching it gives her chills. She feels beaten down but won’t let this affect every area of her life. She just wants to be left to move on, rather than leading this double life of being forced to have one foot in the past.’
But Holly is finding it hard to move on from this painful part of her life and hates the idea that people will be profiting from her misery. Our source says, ‘Holly is in disbelief. As long as people are watching and buying into her hell, he [Plumb] is still very much a part of her life – and that’s exactly what he wants.’