Holly Willoughby has teased an exciting new project on Instagram on Monday as she geared up for a career comeback. The former This Morning host, aged 45, shared stunning selfies cycling on a Lime Bike in London, revealing she had attended a 'brilliant meeting' about a 'really exciting' new venture.
Stylish Selfies and a New Direction
In the photographs, the presenter looked stylish in a brown leather jacket layered over a crisp white T-shirt and blue jeans. She styled her blonde locks loose, wore trendy sunglasses, and kept comfortable in white trainers as she enjoyed a bike ride through the city. She wrote: 'Found a patch of sun in between the rain… good old London weather! Just had a brilliant meeting about a project I’m really excited about… things are happening at quite the pace! Can’t wait to bring it to life and share it with you.'
Digital Shift and Self-Funding
Holly has reportedly distanced herself from ITV to focus on the digital industry. An increased social media presence is crucial for her plan to move on from traditional TV and harness the power of online platforms. According to The Daily Mail's Katie Hind, Holly is working on a new digital project that will involve both producing and presenting her own show, to be streamed online. The project, which she is self-funding, is still under development but may echo her time at This Morning. She is collaborating with a team at her husband Dan Baldwin's television production company Hungry Bear, known for shows such as Gladiators and Michael McIntyre's Big Show on BBC One.
A friend of the star shared: 'Holly has done television for 25 years and now she wants to make her own thing. Daytime television is very much on the slide, and it's time for something new. She is excited; it is something so new and innovative, hopefully it will work. The television landscape has changed so much; people are consuming content on TikTok and other digital platforms. Holly has seen an opportunity now to start something new which has a future, unlike the kind of stuff she has done in the past.'
Turning Down ITV Opportunities
Such is Holly's determination to start afresh that she turned down the chance of hosting ITV's You Bet! for a third time, having hosted two specials with Stephen Mulhern in 2024. The series has since been axed. You Bet! was one of three projects Holly had worked on since leaving This Morning in October 2023, following her ordeal at the hands of former security guard Gavin Plumb, who was found guilty of plotting to kidnap, rape, and murder her. That crime occurred months after she fell out with former co-presenter Phillip Schofield.
As well as You Bet!, Holly had hosted Dancing On Ice, which as of last year is 'rested' with no plans for a future series. She also presented Bear Hunt, which was cancelled by Netflix after just one season. The source explained: 'While she still has a good relationship with ITV, she has walked away from shows there and has no intention right now to go back. She was offered the chance to host You Bet but she declined, and there have been other opportunities too. She could have taken them and carried on where she left off when she had that awful time with Gavin Plumb. But Holly has an idea, and she knows if she doesn't do it now, she will never know if it will work. Of course it is a risk, but she wanted a change. Not only will she be in front of a camera but she will be in charge behind it, too, and that is very exciting.'
