As Holly Willoughby’s work calendar fills up, she’s finally in a place to talk about what she called a “tough” year, but there’s one person she’s still left out in the cold
As Holly Willoughby gears up for a jam-packed schedule with audience favourites like Dancing On Ice and her exciting new Netflix project, she opens up about what she referred to as a “tough” year. The much-loved presenter emotionally recounted the harrowing experience of the kidnap and murder plot that resulted in Gavin Plumb being sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years.
Speaking to The Sunday Times Style magazine, Holly shared her coping strategy: “When something like that happens, you have a decision to make. You either decide, ‘Right, I can take this on board and it can absolutely affect all aspects of my life.’ Or I can make a choice to go, ‘Let’s focus on everything that’s positive and good, all those important things.'”
Set to celebrate her 44th birthday next week, Holly is also back on screens with her new Netflix series, Celebrity Bear Hunt with Bear Grylls. Meanwhile, Phillip Schofield, Holly’s former co-host on This Morning, remains notably absent from our screens since his three-part documentary, Cast Away, aired on Channel 5 last September.
A source claimed to OK! that a return doesn’t seem to be on the cards anytime soon. His attempt at a TV redemption hit a snag after his desert island adventure show received less than stellar reviews, with critics branding it “queasy viewing” and one national newspaper stating that “most people care a lot less about Phillip Schofield’s career than Phillip Schofield would like”.
Our source claimed, “He took a very bold step, speaking about what had happened when he left ITV, but the show just didn’t work in terms of making him someone that people wanted to see back on TV every day.”
Now 62 and having departed This Morning in May 2023, Phillip is said to be content away from the limelight, enjoying time with his beloved dogs and family.
“Phillip knows that he’ll never get back what he had, holding one of the biggest jobs in television,” the source said. “Thankfully, he’s probably made enough money from the This Morning job for him to live without regular TV work. He’s happy just spending time with his dogs, and with his kids and Stephanie, who are still hugely supportive of him.”
Phillip’s exit from This Morning followed an admission of an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague, and shortly afterwards he thanked daughters Molly and Ruby for their support when things went wrong.
When he came out publicly as gay in 2020, he praised his wife Stephanie for her incredible support, and since stepping back from the limelight nearly two years ago, he’s been seen enjoying family time with Stephanie, their daughters, and his beloved dog, Alfie.
The dynamic duo of Holly and Phil lasted at This Morning for an impressive 14 years, and extended to shows like Dancing On Ice and Text Santa. Their friendship was palpable; when Phillip emotionally came out on live TV, Holly was right there, comforting him with the words, “Whatever happens in the future, I’ll be sat by your side… I’ll be by your side forever and ever.”
Now, with Holly making waves on screen again with Celebrity Bear Hunt, it highlights the distance between the once inseparable pair. Holly, reflecting on her own resilience, admitted to being a “complete wimp” but also acknowledged her inner strength, saying, “I’m made of quite tough stuff. I have that thing where I definitely would rather take the easy option, but I know, if I have to, there is something in there.”
Our source claimed: “It must be hard for Phillip seeing Holly on TV again, but the friendship is not repairable. They both feel let down by the other and the way things turned out. But Holly knows that she needs to work and keep going, so she’s not looking backwards.”