With one of the best gigs in daytime TV and a picture-perfect family life, Holly Willoughby has become one of the nation’s favourite stars – but last year, her charmed world was derailed in a bitter row with neighbours.
The 42-year-old This Morning presenter might have appeared her usual bubbly self on our TV screens but, behind closed doors, Holly was facing a toxic battle after renovation plans left neighbours upset with noise levels and concerned for local wildlife – even launching a bid to halt extension plans on her £3 million London home where she’s lived with husband Dan Baldwin, 48, and children, Harry, 13, Belle, 11, and Chester, eight, since 2011.
At the time, one of the nearby residents had lashed out, saying, “Having the noise all week, all day for so many months is not the standard of living in such an expensive area to live…I do not pay taxes to get this level of disruption, it is not quality of life.”
However, last week, another of her neighbours in upmarket south west London exclusively told Closer that the situation has turned a happy corner – adding that the truth is she’s an “ideal neighbour”.
She told us, “Holly’s kept herself to herself and the whole situation seems to have blown over, which I’m sure is a massive relief for her.
“I think a lot of it was driven by pure jealousy because she’s such a successful career woman, and she’s also a great mum to her kids at the same time. She leaves very early in the morning and doesn’t have wild parties, so she’s an ideal neighbour.
“She seems to be a really friendly person with a normal life, they’re always very polite. Most people on this street have done work on their houses, so it seemed wrong to single her out. It was probably a bit of a shock for Holly and Dan to feel like there were people against them.”
It’s been a turbulent few years for mum-of-three Holly. In 2020, she began a toxic court battle with her former agency, YMU Group, which she had left to set up her own company. But a row escalated after a “sunset clause” in the contract left the management group demanding a cut of all her future earnings.
After 18 months, the battle was finally settled out of court – but insiders said there was awkwardness for Holly and some of her peers who were clients of the group, including her co-host Phillip Schofield.
Holly also faced another blow with the axing of BBC show Freeze The Fear With Wim Hof after TV bosses felt the show – produced by Dan’s company Hungry Bear Media – failed to impress audiences.
And the star’s biggest hurdle came in the form of “queue gate”, in which Holly and Phil were accused of skipping the hours long queue to see the late Queen’s lying-in-state. Thousands across the nation called for the pair to be removed from This Morning – despite the presenting duo insisting the fast-track was for broadcasting purposes, insisting they would “never skip a queue.”
Previously opening up about the toll the drama had left on the star, a source told Closer, “All the ongoing issues caused a bit of a strain at both home and work. It’s as if she can’t escape the constant rowing.”
The source now adds, “Thankfully, things have quietened down for Holly and it’s all a lot less turbulent for her. After the tension of last year, she’s hoping 2023 continues to give her the space from drama that she needs to push forward with new plans.”
