She had been embroiled in a legal dispute with her former management for nearly two years, but Holly Willoughby is finally able to celebrate after settling earlier this month.
Holly, 41, and YMU talent agency – who had been her agents for 13 years, and who also manage her This Morning co-star Phillip Schofield and close pals Ant and Dec – had rowed since 2020, when the TV presenter decided to leave and start up her own management team.
Her decision to walk away sparked a row over a “sunset clause” that allowed the former agency to claim 15 per cent of her future salaries on contracts already arranged by them.
Holly is said to have now settled out of court, with reports claiming she’s set to receive around £1million from YMU.
And insiders say that Holly – who has presented This Morning with Phillip since 2009 – is set to press ahead with a string of exciting new TV projects, brand ambassador roles and commercial deals which will net her millions.
A source says, “Holly is already TV’s golden girl, but make no mistake she’s now on course to get even bigger and take her career to the next level.
“She was always unsure about what projects to take on, because there was a question mark as to how much money she would have to give up and hand to her old agents as part of any deals she signed.
“Now this fear has gone and Holly can move forward. She is so excited and massively relieved this period of her life is over and that she can move on. In a way, it’ll be like revenge after the stress of a messy legal case. Make no mistake, there are lots of offers on the table for her and the scale of what she does next will shock everyone. She feels free to focus on the future and is determined to make the most of it.”
Holly’s ascent into TV stardom started as a children’s presenter in the late ’90s, but it wasn’t until 2009 when she landed a co-host job on ITV’s This Morning alongside pal Phil that saw her truly earn the title of “Queen of TV”.
Over the past 13 years, the pair have won numerous awards, including at the NTAs, and they are firm favourites on the daytime show as well as appearing together on other programmes including Dancing On Ice.
But Holly’s also recently branched off into individual projects, including her recently launched lifestyle brand, Wylde Moon. Most recently she appeared on BBC’s Freeze The Fear With Wim Hof, which was a hit with fans.
As well as TV, Holly has also been in front of the camera as a model, fronting successful clothing lines, including sell-out collections with high-street giant Marks & Spencer. And as she’s now free of her previous legal ties, she could be set to step it up further in the fashion and retail game too.
And the source adds that a big part of her future is set to revolve around spending more time on her solo projects.
“Holly loves This Morning and ITV adore her,” the source adds. “They don’t want to lose her because Holly and Phil are, in the eyes of executives, still the dream ticket. But the programme can be gruelling. It’s early starts, and given Holly has a young family, this can be tough at times. That’s why other shows, where she doesn’t have to be up early to get to work, really appeal to her. It’s likely she’ll ask for more time off from ITV to pursue these options.”
But the source adds that being a devoted mum to her children, Harry, 13, Belle, 11, and Harry, seven, as well as partner to TV producer husband Dan Baldwin, who she married in 2007, remains more important than anything.
The source says, “One of Holly’s favourite jobs in recent years was travelling to Australia to be a part of the I'm A Celeb! presenting team. She got to take her family and they had a wonderful time. Plus she was able to promote her own fashion range while she was out there and, by the time she got back, brands and advertisers were fighting to feature her in their adverts. Holly would love to do I’m A Celeb! again. This is the most exciting period in her career. With this nightmare behind her, she’s sure the best is yet to come.”