Dancing On Ice is back on our screens with presenting duo Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield at the helm.
But while it seemed like business as usual for the pair on the opening two episodes of this year’s series, behind the scenes insiders say Holly, 41, has been feeling uncertain about her status as TV’s “golden girl”.
And hearing that her This Morning colleague Alison Hammond will host this year’s BAFTA Awards has left Holly worrying that she could be left in the shade, as her pal moves onwards and upwards in her TV career.
An insider tells Closer, “Holly feels uncertain about her career at the moment because there just seems to be so much change going on in the TV industry. Seeing Alison’s meteoric rise has put her a bit on edge – she’s not sure what the future is going to hold.
“Holly has been really emotional around her colleagues because she knows this could possibly be her last series of DOI. Everyone knows just how ruthless the TV world can be, and has been wondering whether she can really balance everything that’s on her plate right now.
“Now Alison seems to be heading up to the next level, Holly is split – she does love being part of shows like DOI and she really enjoyed her time on things like Freeze The Fear and Celebrity Juice – but she’d love for her brand to go up another level with some more serious, worthy projects. It’s leaving her feeling a bit insecure.”
Holly – who has three children, Harry, 13, Belle, 11 and Chester, eight, with husband Dan Baldwin – first began hosting DOI nearly two decades ago in 2006. She quickly became a staple on our screens, with her and Phil having fronted This Morning since 2009, for which she’s reportedly paid around £730K a year.
She also capitalised on her popularity and success by launching wellness platform Wylde Moon last year, which features blog posts and sells products like scented candles and fragrances.
But while she seemed untouchable for years, last September her reputation took a blow after “Queuegate”, which saw over 50K people sign a petition calling for her and Phil to be axed from This Morning after allegedly skipping the queue to see the Queen’s coffin.
Earlier this year, Closer also reported how Holly had faced another blow when her and TV producer husband Dan’s BBC1 show Freeze The Fear With Wim Hof was axed after just one series.
Last week, it was reported that TV favourite Alison – who presents This Morning on Fridays alongside Dermot O’Leary – had landed the prestigious job of hosting the 2023 BAFTA awards alongside Richard E Grant.
The source says, “The fact that Alison – who Holly knows she is often pitted against – has been chosen to host the BAFTAs is a massive feat in itself. It’s one of the biggest hosting jobs there is and although Holly is proud of how well Alison has done, her pals know there’ll be a tinge of jealousy – it’ll be hard for her to see the other woman of daytime TV going to the next level.
“It’s shaken Holly up a lot as she really feels as though she is stepping back and making way for the new golden girl of television, which is clearly Alison now that she’s bagged the BAFTAs. Of course, Holly is absolutely thrilled for Alison and is happy to see her career soar, but at the same time it makes her wonder where she is headed next.”
Last week, Holly was spotted on a rare date night with Dan at a celeb-packed boxing match. And Holly has long been open about how her biggest priority will always be her family, and that she constantly strives to maintain a good work-life balance. She said in 2021 about struggling with mum guilt, “I’m feeling guilty because I’m not there to drop my kids off in the morning, because I have to go to work. In some way I’m telling myself that I clearly don’t love my kids because I love my career more than my children, which is why I’m choosing to do this. I know that’s not the case because I know I love my kids more than anything on this planet. So why am I thinking like that?”
And insiders add that she’s now wondering whether it’s the right time to take a step back from her career and focus on her family.
The source says, “She’s been feeling torn lately about spending more time with her kids and husband Dan, and looking for a change. But it’s scary because she doesn’t want to give up any of her dream jobs, even though realistically she knows it would improve her work-life balance. So, for now, she wants to make sure she is savouring every moment of Dancing On Ice.
“She’s had a lot of big projects come her way, but many of them have been failures with some shows getting axed. She hasn’t been able to find that magic combination of a passion project and a big mainstream hit which is what she’s looking for. But she does know that being a mum is what makes her happiest, so part of her wants to just stop chasing the next big project and take a step back from it all.”