She’s taken a notable step back from the spotlight since leaving This Morning, only returning to TV for Dancing On Ice in January and the National Television Awards earlier this month. But after some time away, a source close to Holly Willoughby has revealed she’s now ready for her big career comeback – and she’s calling the shots.
‘Holly feels in a great place right now. She’s obviously been through a hellish time, but she was able to reset over the summer and just spend time with her family. Now, she’s really itching to get back to work and is bursting with energy and ideas,’ an insider tells Closer.
‘Holly has reached a point in her life and in her career where she doesn’t feel she’s got anything left to prove. She’s also financially stable so she’s determined to work on projects she’s really passionate about rather than ones that might necessarily pay the most – it’s not like she needs them. This Morning was obviously a career high, but it was very demanding.’
Holly, 43, recently stepped back into the public eye as she attended the NTAs, where she presented the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award, marking her first red carpet appearance since stepping down from the This Morning in October.
Holly, who co-hosted the show alongside estranged best friend Phillip Schofield for 14 years, announced her departure after it emerged that former security guard Gavin Plumb – who was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in jail in July – plotted to kidnap, rape and murder her.
On the night, Holly proved that she’s still very much in the This Morning fold as she was spotted chatting to producer Martin Frizell. She was also reunited with her former colleagues, embracing Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond before catching up with current hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard.
Ben, 49, said it was ‘lovely’ to see Holly at the bash, while Cat, 47, added, ‘Oh it was lovely, and we saw each other backstage. She was running one way, I was running the other – we gave each other a big kiss, trying not to trip on our gowns and walk in our high heels.’
It comes as Holly is set to return to ITV to host a reboot of ’90s game show, You Bet!, with long-time friend Stephen Mulhern. Sharing the news, she said, ‘I’m so excited to be part of this iconic game show with the fabulous Stephen Mulhern. I’m looking forward to seeing the astonishing skills on show from the challengers and which of our celebrity panellists can come out on top.’
Our source says that while bosses would love to bring her back for more opportunities, Holly is taking a laid-back approach and doesn’t necessarily feel like she needs the channel to succeed in her career.
‘ITV are very keen to get Holly on more shows. She is – and has been for a long time – the jewel in their presenting crown and they hope to meet with her soon to discuss ideas and projects. They’ve got lots of shows they’d love to involve Holly in,’ the insider explains. ‘There’s even been talk that the door would be open to her if she’d like to consider a return to the This Morning sofa – though that would undoubtedly cause shockwaves.
'But she is going into those projects in a really relaxed frame of mind. She’s open to new ideas but she’s also got her own ideas and aims around what she wants to do and the kind of programmes she’d like to make – and she won’t let anyone stand in her way!’
It comes after a scandalous few weeks on the show for Holly’s replacement Cat Deeley. Last week, viewers complained after she said ‘sh*t’ on air, and in the summer she landed in hot water after dancing on the show and joking that she was ‘having a seizure’ – upsetting epilepsy charities.
Meanwhile Holly – mum to Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and Chester, eight, with her TV producer husband, Dan Baldwin – has spent the majority of the year enjoying quality time with her family, she jetted off to Costa Rica in May to film her new jungle-based reality series with survival expert Bear Grylls, which is set to air on Netflix next year.
And as she looks to the future and thinks about what’s next, our source explains that she’d ‘love to travel more’ and ‘try her hand at different kind of shows’. They continue, ‘Most of all, Holly loves meeting people and interviewing real people – so it’s highly likely she’ll look to work in projects that offer those kinds of opportunities. ITV viewers have missed having Holly on the box and the channel knows that getting her back on screen will be a really positive thing for viewing figures.’
The source adds, ‘It’s also possible that Holly might have the chance to talk about her experiences and all she’s been through. She is interested in the idea of shining a light on the system and how people have to often go through massive challenges to secure justice.