She teamed up with her TV producer husband, Dan Baldwin, for her latest show, Freeze The Fear, and last week gave fans a rare insight into their marriage.
Stressing the importance of her relationship, daytime TV queen, Holly Willoughby, 41, revealed, “If my career tanked tomorrow, I know I’d be fine.”
The This Morning host – who shares Harry, 12, Belle, 10, and seven-year-old Chester, with Dan, 47 – added, “But if something happened with my marriage or my family, that would be the end of the world.”
Further revealing how the couple – who tied the knot in August 2007 – made the most of their child-free time while working together for their new BBC series, which sees 12 celebrities take on challenges set by ice guru Wim Hof in Northern Italy, she added, “We’d sit on the on the balcony of our hotel room drinking Aperol Spritz and eating pizza.”
And now Holly is said to be keen to renew her wedding vows this summer – having previously revealed she wanted to follow in her parents’ footsteps after watching them renew their vows and saying at the time, “I’d like to do it.”
The host-turned-wellness guru’s recent marriage revelations are a big turnaround for the notoriously private star who until recently had largely kept her 18-year relationship out of the limelight.
And insiders say Holly’s decision to be more open about her private life, together with her and Dan’s latest joint venture, are all part of her vow to prioritise her marriage.
The source says, “Holly’s done a lot of soul-searching over the last few years which she’s made no secret of, and it’s prompted her to shift her mindset on every aspect of her life, including her marriage, and she’s wanting a reboot.
“Working with Dan and having alone time in Italy made her realise how important it was for them as a couple to spend more quality time together, as well as further strengthening their bond and reminding them of their shared passion for making great TV shows.”
While Holly has become one of Britain’s best-loved TV hosts, behind the scenes she’s also turned herself into a savvy entrepreneur – spearheading her own lifestyle brand, Truly, forming her own female-led management company, Roxy, in 2020 and launching her new wellness platform, Wylde Moon, last year.
She has also helped Dan become one of the most influential figures in the entertainment industry with his production company, Hungry Bear Media.
The executive TV producer was the brains behind his wife’s BBC game show, Take Off With Bradley And Holly and the presenter has appeared on a number of programmes produced by her husband, including Celebrity Juice, All Round To Mrs Brown’s and Michael McIntyre’s Send To All segment.
The source says, “Their time in Italy really opened Holly’s eyes to how important it was to spend more time with Dan and they started to brainstorm other projects they could join forces on.
“While she doesn’t want them to be living and working in each other’s pockets, with their hectic schedules and three kids, having quality time together is hard, so she’s vowed to find a happy medium.”
After meeting on children’s show Ministry Of Mayhem in 2004, the couple kept their romance secret for the first eight months, and despite Holly turning into one of the nation’s best-loved stars, she rarely mentioned Dan in interviews.
But there’s been an apparent shift over the last couple of years – with Holly opening up about the ups and downs of her marriage as well as making a series of raunchy confessions about her sex life – detailing her penchant for breaking in new shoes “during sex” and playing “saucy games”.
The usually squeaky-clean star shocked viewers during an episode of Celebrity Juice when she discussed intimate details of her sex life.
She gave a deeper insight into their relationship in her latest book, Reflections – with her honest depiction of her relationship, which included references to heated rows, winning praise from fans who found her more relatable.
And pals say Holly’s U-turn has also been sparked by her newfound vow to further strengthen her marriage to Dan.
The source says, “While she used to attribute the secret of their successful marriage to having kept it largely out of the spotlight, she realised that by being more open and transparent about her relationship, it not only helped fans connect with her, but it also reignited her and Dan’s spark and made them fall even deeper in love.
“Dan loves it when Holly gushes about him publicly, and as the children have got older and enjoy reading their mum’s interviews, it’s been a further push for Holly to let her guard down a bit. She feels comfortable in the knowledge that their relationship is iron-clad and isn’t going to falter by putting some of the details out there in the public domain.”
In a recent episode of Holly’s new podcast, By The Light Of The Moon, she was joined by fellow wellness guru and Goop founder, Gwyneth Paltrow, 49.
Her latest guest came a surprise to many, given Holly was initially pitted against the Oscar-winning actress when she first entered the world of health and mental wellbeing, which Gwyneth had taken by storm with her global brand, worth an estimated £190 million.
And following their hour-long talk about sexuality and inner wellbeing, pals say the pair have continued their conversation behind the scenes – with Gwyneth even inviting Holly and Dan to visit Goop’s headquarters in California.
The source adds, “Holly’s always been a huge fan of Gwyneth’s, so to not only get her on her podcast, but to have forged what she hopes could be a friendship that could lead to a working partnership down the line too, is huge.
“Holly and Dan have spoken about spending more time in the US and exploring various new show opportunities which could take them Stateside, including their own Netflix show where Holly explores the world of wellness in America.”
But before they embark on any major new projects, the pair are hoping to renew their vows this August, when they’ll celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary ,with Holly insisting she’s not bothered about waiting until they’ve been married for 25 years, like her parents.
The source adds, “Holly and Dan are madly in love and she doesn’t want to wait any longer – insisting they can always do it twice! They’re hoping to have a glitzy vow renewal bash over the summer with close friends and family.
“She feels incredibly lucky to have found so much happiness in both her professional and her personal life, and she is excited to share that and continue to nourish it with her new vows.”