Holly Willoughby changed her career trajectory back in October when she quit This Morning after 14 years.
So what does life look like for Holly now her days on ITV’s flagship daytime show are over? Read on to find out…
Holly Willoughby quit This Morning
Back in October, after 14 years co-hosting the hit ITV daytime show, Holly quit.
In a statement, she wrote: “I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning.
“To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so so much. This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together,” she then continued.
After thanking ITV, guests, and viewers, she said: “Richard and Judy said we only look after this show, it will always belong to the viewers’. It’s been an honour to just be part of its story and I know this story has many chapters left to go.”
She then said that she will miss everyone “so much”.
Holly Willoughby on Netflix
After three months off the telly, Holly returned to ITV to host Dancing On Ice alongside Stephen Mulhern.
In March, it was also announced that Holly had landed a role hosting Bear Grylls’ new Netflix show, Bear Hunt.
“Introducing Bear Hunt – this new action-packed competition show sees a group of unlikely British celebrities dropped into the Central American jungle as prey for one of the world’s most fearsome predators… @beargrylls!” the official Netflix account tweeted at the time.
“Hosted by @hollywilloughby – coming to Netflix in 2025. #NextOnNetflix.”
The synopsis reads: “Bear believes there’s an action hero inside us all – even the celebs – but how strong is their will to survive? As Bear puts them through their paces, those who fail to impress will face the dreaded ‘Bear Hunt’ – a brutal game of cat and mouse where they’ll be hunted down by Bear himself and, if captured, eliminated from the show.”
Holly Willoughby to ‘head stateside’
Following the Netflix gig announcement, it was claimed that Holly could be considering a move to the US.
The 43-year-old reportedly wants to move Stateside in the hope of breaking America.
“Holly is a national treasure in the UK but not well known in the USA, so it means she can start with a clean slate and not have Phillip’s name tarnish any of her work moving forward,” brand and culture expert Nick Ede told ED in March.
“The US audiences won’t be able to relate to any of the previous drama. They will be looking for a new host they can fall in love with and Holly has all the qualities to fit the bill,” he then continued.
Nick has high hopes for Holly in the US. “I think that they will love her in the USA and really embrace her. I think she will have many years of success and will command big bucks and great gig,” he then added.
Holly’s ‘Hollywood makeover’
Last month saw Holly undergo something of a makeover, as she dyed her hair even blonder.
Taking to Instagram, Holly shared her new(ish) look with her followers, showing them how she does her roots.
“I’ve been dyeing my own hair with @garnieruk Nutrisse 10.01 Natural Baby Blonde for almost 10 years so I thought I’d do a little video to show you how I touch up my roots!” she captioned the post.
“Looking amazing, Holly,” one follower commented. “Absolutely beautiful Holly,” another gushed.
Reports also claimed that Holly was undergoing a “Hollywood ready” makeover ahead of her Netflix show. A source told Closer: “Understandably, Holly wants to make sure she looks and feels her very best, so she’s been going all-out behind the scenes to ensure she’s Hollywood ready. Enjoying regular facials and skin-boosting treatments, upping her Pilates, yoga and boxing sessions and eating as clean as possible, while still enjoying herself with occasional indulgences.”
Marriage ‘pact’ with Dan
Holly is set to jet off to Costa Rica this month to begin filming Bear Hunt. She will be away from her family for some time.
This has led to Holly making a “marriage pact” with husband Dan Baldwin. Dan, who runs his own production company, is eyeing up a reboot of Blind Date. However, he isn’t considering Holly to host it, instead he’s looking at Claudia Winkleman.
“When Holly’s husband Dan admitted he wants to do a Blind Date remake, everyone thought it would be Holly fronting the show. But the fact that he has eyed up Claudia Winkleman for it just goes to show that Holly is really trying to distance herself from the TV she’s been associated with for so long,” a source told New! magazine.
“In the past, she’d have jumped at the chance to do an iconic TV show like that. Dan knows she would be perfect, but they have decided that she needs to take a step away from the mainstream shows for a bit and concentrate on her rebrand. It’s their marriage pact.”
Holly Willoughby focusing on her ‘rebrand’
The source then continued, saying that the move to Netflix is to show off a “different” side to Holly.
It’s also reportedly hoped that this could lead to the star being taken “more seriously” when it comes to wellness. This could have a hugely positive impact on her wellness brand, Wylde Moon.
“This year is all about showing off a different side to her and attracting a bigger worldwide fanbase, rather than just the UK. Her new Netflix show has proven her ambition and the confidence she has to make it as a worldwide star. She wants to concentrate on Wylde Moon and becoming known as a wellness expert. She feels people will take her more seriously in that world if she is more selective about her future TV projects rather than being associated with TV show after TV show,” the source said.
Read more: Parenting ‘heartbreak’ for Holly Willoughby as she prepares to leave her family for new show: ‘She gets upset thinking about it’
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