Holly Willoughby is an English television presenter, author and model.
She is best known for co-presenting ITV’s This Morning and Dancing on Ice.
Willoughby was a team captain on the ITV2 comedy panel show Celebrity Juice from 2008 to 2020.
She was born on February 10, 1981, in Brighton, East Sussex, England.
Willoughby’s first role as a children’s entertainer came when she rejoined CITV in 2004 to co-present the entertainment show Ministry of Mayhem which aired on Saturday mornings.
On this program, she met her future husband Dan Baldwin, one of the show’s producers.
In 2006, the show’s title was changed to Holly & Stephen’s Saturday Showdown in order to reflect the popularity of its co-presenters, Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern.
Recently, on October 10, 2023, Willoughby announced that she will be leaving This Morning after a man was arrested over an alleged plot to kidnap and murder the presenter.
#BREAKING Holly Willoughby QUITS This Morning pic.twitter.com/fyL48whmAE
— Ellie Phillips 🎬 (@ElliePhillipsUK) October 10, 2023
Holly Willoughby kidnapping
Willoughby was the subject of a kidnapping plot that was uncovered by the police.
On October 4, 2023, a 36-year-old man was arrested and charged with soliciting to commit murder and incitement to commit kidnap.
The man allegedly sent ‘sinister messages’ threatening to kidnap and ‘seriously harm’ Willoughby.
Following the arrest, a round-the-clock police guard was posted outside her £3 million home in London, where she lives with her husband and children.
Willoughby was absent from her usual presenting slot on This Morning on October 5, and Alison Hammond appeared as a last-minute replacement.
Willoughby was reportedly on ‘indefinite leave’ from the show after news emerged of the alleged kidnap plot against her.
On October 10, 2023, Willoughby announced her decision to leave This Morning after 14 years.
She did not refer directly to the alleged incident in her statement.
ALSO READ: Who is Holly Willoughby? Biography, Age, Height, Net Worth and Husband
Who is Holly Willoughby’s husband?
Willoughby’s husband is Dan Baldwin, a TV producer who has worked on various shows including Celebrity Juice and Almost Famous.
He launched his own media company, Hungry Bear, in 2014 and works as a development executive for Talkback Thames.
Dan has won a BAFTA, two NTAs, and two Royal Television Society awards throughout his career.
Willoughby and Dan first met when they worked on a TV show together in 2004, and they got married on August 4, 2007, at St Michael’s Church before hosting their wedding reception at Amberley Castle in West Sussex.
The couple has three children together; Harry, Belle, and Chester.
Willoughby chooses not to put her children’s faces on Instagram because she knows once they’re out there, they’re for public consumption.
Holly Willoughby’s career
Willoughby’s first job was as a model when she was scouted at The Clothes Show Live exhibition in Birmingham back in 1995.
She later signed to Storm Model Management, the same agency as Kate Moss.
Willoughby’s first TV job was as a host on CITV’s spin-off show, S Club TV in 2000.
She has been co-presenting This Morning since 2009, and has won several awards for her work on the show, including a National Television Award for Best Daytime Show in 2020.
Willoughby has presented a number of other TV shows, including Dancing on Ice, Celebrity Juice, and The Voice UK.
She has also appeared as a team captain on the late-night game show Celebrity Juice.
Willoughby had a brief modeling career before becoming a TV presenter.
She was scouted at the age of 14 and later became the face of sanitary towels.
Willoughby has been a brand ambassador for several companies, including Garnier and Marks & Spencer.
Despite her success, she has been open about feeling like an “imposter” and not being up to the job when she first started hosting This Morning.
However, Willoughby has since won numerous awards and is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most popular TV presenters.
