NEWS
As viewing figures plummet on ITV’s flagship show, insiders say former TV queen Holly Willoughby is considering a comeback – but worries about the effect on new host Cat Deeley
Her crown as TV’s golden girl continued to slip last week as it was revealed Holly Willoughby’s media company assets have been reduced by nearly £1 million since her shock exit from This Morning.
And in the wake of news that the show is “in crisis” –with viewing figures plummeting by half since Cat Deeley, 47, and Ben Shephard, 49, took over in March –insiders say the 43-year-old mum-of-three is quietly considering a return to the show that turned her into a household name.
Following her 14-year reign as “Queen of Daytime TV,” Holly quit the sofa in October, around five months after her long-standing partner Phillip Schofield left the show amid scandal. Our source says, “Holly never wanted to leave This Morning and it was a decision she made during a tough time of her life, where her personal affairs had to take priority – not because she was ready to move on.
“She always vowed never to make any life-altering decisions without a level head but, understandably, this was a situation she was almost forced into because of the circumstances. At the time, she felt she had no other choice.”
Holly –who shares Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and Chester, eight, with her TV producer husband, Dan Baldwin –proved her commitment to the show when she defiantly returned to the sofa following Phillip’s shock departure in May.
BRAVE FACE
Following her “year from hell” the presenter-turned-wellness guru put on a brave face after news emerged about Phil’s “unwise, but not illegal” extramarital affair with a younger male colleague.
The source says, “Despite it being the worst time in Holly’s career, This Morning Current hosts Cat and Ben meant so much to her that she stuck with it –determined to fight through and repair her tarnished reputation.
“Knowing its future could now be on the line, with audience figures dwindling, has made her reconsider her decision to bolt and while she’s not rushing into anything, she’s quietly weighing up her options.”
Since leaving the flagship ITV show, Holly has taken a step back from the spotlight, only returning to TV for Dancing On Ice in January, which she hosted alongside Stephen Mulhern instead of former co-host Phil.
In February, her BBC programme, Freeze The Fear, was cancelled due to low viewing figures and she took time out from her lucrative deal with M&S.
FINANCIAL SECURITY
And despite bagging a deal with Netflix – co-hosting new reality competition series Bear Hunt
