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Holly Willoughby Ditches ITV Show for the First Time in 21 Years After Rejecting Major Deal

BBG News

For the first time in 21 years, Holly Willoughby won’t be hosting an ITV prime-time program, as she declined a significant role offered by the network.

For quite some time, the presenter, aged 44, held the title of ITV’s beloved golden girl. She managed to secure her spot as the most adored host on their premier programs such as This Morning and Dancing On Ice.

Yet, it seems that Holly has chosen to explore a different path in her television journey, given that she no longer has an ITV show due to the cancellation of Dancing On Ice.

Recently, Holly declined ITV’s opportunity for her to shine as the Saturday evening headliner by refusing an attractive offer to host the game show “You Bet!” on a financially rewarding basis.

ITV sources informed the Mail that she had other obligations keeping her occupied, following Holly’s departure to present Celebrity Bear Hunt, marking her first major role outside of ITV.

For the first time in over two decades, it’s unusual for Holly not to have an ITV program scheduled on her list, as she’s long been considered ITV’s cherished television star.

For quite some time, she has been a frequent presence on ITV and ITV2, appearing as the host of programs such as Surprise Surprise, Celebrity Juice, The Games, The Xtra Factor, and I’m A Celebrity.

Holly has become particularly renowned for co-hosting This Morning with Phillip Schofield from 2009 to 2023, and for taking the lead on Dancing On Ice since 2006.

Consequently, ITV fans will miss out on seeing Holly, since no official announcement about her involvement in a new project for the channel has been made public yet.

TopMob has contacted ITV and Holly’s representatives for comment.

As I embark on this thrilling journey, I find myself brimming with anticipation for the fresh possibilities that lie ahead with Netflix. It seems my recent endeavor of hosting the captivating reality series, “Celebrity Bear Hunt,” left a lasting impression on the powers that be.

It’s been disclosed that Netflix has shown strong interest in collaborating further with her on projects, potentially making these productions available globally following her appearance on Bear Grylls’ show.

In a significant setback for ITV, Holly declined an attractive offer to host a new installment of the popular game show “You Bet!” due to other prior engagements.

According to a source, the audience’s strong desire for “You Bet” led ITV executives to extend its broadcast for an entire season.

‘Holly and Stephen are a great double act and they were both brilliant so they were asked back.

‘But Holly politely declined, she has other commitments and couldn’t make it work.

She is highly sought-after, no longer tied down to hosting “This Morning” four days a week, she now has the freedom to explore various opportunities, some of which are on a global scale.

For her, the Celebrity Bear Hunt was an extraordinary experience – her debut project with Netflix, which she thoroughly enjoyed, and her enthusiasm was reciprocated by the team. It’s quite possible that more collaborations like this are in store for her in the future.

‘The world is now Holly’s oyster, there are so many opportunities for her.’

A representative from ITV stated: ‘Regrettably, Holly wasn’t able to confirm her availability for the hosting dates of the upcoming series of You Bet! However, we hope she’ll make an appearance as a panel guest in one of the new episodes.’

In the past, Holly collaborated with significant British television networks, sharing hosting duties for “Freeze The Fear” with Wim Hof and Lee Mack on the BBC in the year 2022.

Beyond her television stardom, Holly, the spouse of TV producer Dan Baldwin, additionally manages a personal venture named Wylde Moon, specializing in wellness and lifestyle products.

Her business holdings are valued around ten million pounds, and she’s collaborated with companies such as Marks & Spencer, Diet Coke, and Oral-B.

Holly’s professional changes follow the news that Dancing on Ice, the show she co-hosts with Stephen Mulhern, will not be continuing, as there are no plans to air a new season in 2026.

After the 2025 finale, there were whispers that the ice-skating exhibition might be getting cancelled, as it was said that the team working on the show had been informed that their duties for it were complete.

According to a representative from ITV, they have announced that the popular show “Dancing on Ice” will take a break in 2026, and currently, there are no plans scheduled for another series.

It’s our pleasure to extend our gratitude to everyone in the cast and crew who have been part of this show since its inception in 2006, across 17 seasons. Their tireless efforts, whether on or off the ice, have not gone unnoticed.

We’re thanking everyone involved in the show for their hard work since it started in 2006 over 17 seasons, whether they were on or off the ice.

Ever since it started in 2006, more than 200 celebrities have participated in Dancing on Ice, and around 100 unique adaptations of the renowned Bolero costume have been crafted for stars who danced Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean’s iconic skate routine.

The cancellation occurred following the 2025 finale, which saw Dancing On Ice record its lowest viewership in the entire series run.

2025 competition ratings hit an all-time low following Coronation Street actor Sam Aston’s victory as its champion.

Despite an exciting finale, the program attracted only about 2.7 million viewers – a significant drop from its highest viewership of over 12 million at one point.

After reports stated that the show wouldn’t come back, and employees were informed that their employment was ending, there was a noticeable drop in the numbers.

In 2006, the show first aired on ITV, and it was Gaynor Faye, a previous Coronation Street actress known for her role as Judy Mallett in the ’90s, who triumphed in the very first season.

Since 2014, the format lay dormant, only to reappear on screens four years later. From that point forward, it has consistently been broadcast during the beginning months of each year.

Previously, Holly had co-hosted the program alongside her former colleague from This Morning, Philip. However, Stephen later replaced Philip as her co-host.

Following the cancellation of Dancing on Ice, Stephen has been confirmed as the host for You Bet! However, they are currently looking for a co-host after Holly declined the offer to join him.

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2025-03-27 14:34

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