Holly Willoughby nearly missed out on This Morning job
Thanks to Phillip Schofield she got the job!
She's the Queen of Daytime TV and the face of This Morning alongside her co-presenter and best friend Phillip Schofield, but things nearly didn't work out for Holly Willoughby on the popular ITV show.
Holly, who released her first book Reflections last week, has spoken on Elizabeth Day's podcast How To Fail, revealing it was actually Phillip who helped her get the prestigious role.
Admitting that bosses had initial doubts about hiring her to present This Morning because she 'wouldn't be able to interview the Prime Minister', Holly revealed it was 59-year-old Phillip who persuaded them otherwise.
She said: "If it wasn’t for Phil, I wouldn’t be on This Morning now because everyone around him at the time when he suggested my name, were like, 'What? No! She might be alright in the fashion bit but there’s no way she could interview the Prime Minister…'
"And I remember when I got the job and I totally only have him to thank for that and his belief. In literally week one, I had to interview the Prime Minister and I remember thinking in my head 'Oh my god, I can’t do this, they know I can’t do this.'"
Check out Holly Willoughby's amazing career timeline:
2000: S Club TV
Back when Tina was doing her dance, and Jon was looking for romance, Holly was doing a pretty impressive job as a stand in member of S Club 7 for their TV movie S Club 7: Artistic Differences. In the children's comedy, the band split when artistic differences tore them apart (Paul heading off to start a rival band, Rachel leaving to get married) – but Holly helped keep the peace as a character named Zoe.
2004: Holly & Stephen’s Saturday Showdown AKA Ministry of Mayhem
Originally called Ministry of Mayhem, Holly and Stephen's Saturday Showdown was a mad cap CiTV game show that saw the show hosts camp it up as housemates that welcomed boys and girls teams in to their living room for an assortment of competitions.
It is also the setting where Holly met her future husband, Dan Baldwin (they tied the knot in 2007 and have three children), and gave co-host Stephen Mulhern a platform to show off his magic skills. Fancy!
2005: CD:UK
Now we're not saying Cat Deeley can be replaced... but Holly was a pretty great successor to the fellow 40-year-old TV host. Holly helped many a hungover adult get through Saturday morning's by presenting the children's music chart show.
2006: Dancing on Ice
A glimpse of what was to come – Holly was paired with hosting icon Philip Schofield on the ice skating dance show that saw celebrities compete on skates under the tutelage of Olympic legends Torvill and Dean. Holly and Phil's warm chemistry was a hit with fan – pulling in over 12 million viewers at the show's peak.
2008: Xtra Factor
After Fearne Cotton but before Konnie Huq, Holly hosted The X Factor spin off show the year that music fans were thrilled by the likes of Alexandra Burke, JLS and Diana Vickers. The star arguably co-hosted with her first son, Harry, as she was pregnant with him while the show aired in 2008 – with her first baby arriving in May the following year. She returned to host again for series six – which was when Joe McElderry won.
2009: Celebrity Juice
The mad cap mayhem of presenting children's television shows was probably a good training ground for Holly to deal with the juvenile antics of Keith Lemon (aka Avid Merrion). Holly serves as a team captain on the bonkers late night game show with best friend Fearne Cotton championing her opposing team. The trio were a hit with viewers, until Fearne announced her departure from the show in December 2018.
2009: This Morning
As well as delighting late night viewers, 2009 saw Holly enter the weekday TV format as she started hosting This Morning with Philip Schofield after the departure of Fern Britton. Fans of the pair have seen their friendship blossom on-screen as they still present together to this day – and have helped the magazine entertainment show scoop NTA, TRIC, TV Choice, and Freesat Awards along the way.
2012: The Voice UK
Holly and Reggie Yates were the face of The Voice when it first launched in the UK on the BBC back in 2012. The duo held the show together for the first two years and worked alongside show coaches Sir Tom Jones, will.i.am, Jessie J and Danny O'Donoghue as they found champions Leanne Mitchell in 2012 and Andrea Begley in 2013.
2012: Surprise Surprise
When the long-running show was resurrected in 2012, Holly seemed like the natural choice to fill the shoes of Cilla Black. With her approachable demeanour and warm personality, Holly shone as she fronts the light entertainment show as members of the public have dreams made true.
2016: Meet the Parents
Proving herself as one of the hardest working women in showbiz, Holly doesn't slow down when the weekend arrives despite hosting This Morning four days per week. The hostess has most recently been helping singletons find love on the ITV dating show that sees parents vet prospective dates for their children.
2018: Coronation Street
In 2018, Holly had a cameo in beloved ITV soap Coronation Street, along with her co-host Phillip Schofield. The pair interviewed the characters of Rosie Webster, Craig Tinker and Gemma Winter as part of Rosie's exit storyline.
2018: I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
When Ant McPartlin announced he would be stepping down from all TV duties to focus on his addiction recovery, Holly was the first choice by Declan Donnelly to replace him. She was a HUGE hit with viewers - and many even called for her to have a full-time role on the show in the future.
2019-2023: Dancing On Ice
As well as presenting This Morning Monday-Thursday with Phillip Schofield, Holly also returned to the ice when Dancing On Ice made a comeback in 2019. Both Holly and Phillip then returned for the 2020 series, which ended in March. The pair also presented the series in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
2021: Reflections
In early April 2021, Holly revealed that she would be taking an extra week off from This Morning to work on a secret project, with Rochelle Humes keeping her side of the sofa warm. A week later, the star announced that the secret project was in fact a brand new book, called Reflections, set to be released in October.
2021: Take Off
Holly joined forces with Bradley Walsh in July 2021 to host BBC game show Take Off, with the pair trying to make people's holiday dreams come true.
2021: WYLDE MOON
In September 2021, Holly announced that she is embarking on a brand new career project as she launched WYLDE MOON.
Holly described WYLDE MOON as 'a space full of things that I love and people that inspire me... from beauty and fashion, to energy and healing.' She also said: 'In creating WYLDE MOON for you, I've filled a need in me. I'd lost a part of who I was and that rediscovery has led me here, to a whole new place of beauty and power'.
2022: (borrowed from) The Wild perfume
On 8th February 2022, Holly revealed that her first perfume (borrowed from) The Wild had officially been released! Admitting that she has been wearing the perfume since the day she got the scent, Holly revealed (borrowed from) The Wild 'enlivens the senses with notes of Bergamot, Geranium, Blackcurrant, Jasmine, Rose and Mint.'
2022: Freeze The Fear
Holly was absent on This Morning for a number of weeks at the start of 2022 so she could take part in BBC reality show Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof.
Holly took part alongside the likes of Lee Mack, Tamzin Outhwaite and Gabby Logan, as the celebs embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in the Italian mountains in sub-zero conditions.
2022: The Games
Holly hosted ITV's revival of The Games in May 2022, which involved 12 celebrities taking part in Olympic Game style activities to be crowned the winner!
Holly hosted the show alongside former England cricketer Freddie Flintoff.
2023: This Morning exit
As well as her co-host and former best friend Phillip Schofield quitting the show in May 2023, Holly later left her role on This Morning in October 2023. Holly released a statement on social media, admitting she made the decision for her and her family.
2024: Dancing On Ice
In 2024, Holly returned to our screens to present Dancing On Ice alongside new host Stephen Mulhern.
2024: You Bet!
It was announced in August 2024 that ITV/STV bosses are rebooting iconic challenge show You Bet! for two special episodes in the Autumn. Holly will host the show alongside close friend Stephen Mulhern.
At the moment, there's no official date for the series to air.
2025: Bear Hunt
Netflix bosses have announced a brand new adventure show called Bear Hunt featuring Bear Grylls and Holly. Netflix say of the new show: 'Introducing Bear Hunt – this new action-packed competition show sees a group of unlikely British celebrities dropped into the Central American jungle as prey for one of the world's most fearsome predators... @beargrylls! Hosted by @hollywilloughby – coming to Netflix in 2025. #NextOnNetflix' (sic)
Although we know the show will be released in 2025, no official date has been announced just yet.
With past presenters such as Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, and Fern Britton and John Leslie, Holly had big shoes to fill when she was announced as the new host alongside Phillip Schofield in 2009.
The now mum-of-three quickly proved to bosses they'd made the correct decision in hiring her, with Holly now becoming on of the most-loved faces on TV, winning numerous awards alongside her co-host.
Meanwhile, it's been a busy year for Holly! After teasing the project back in April, the 40-year-old announced her debut book 'Reflections' had landed last week.
She wrote: 'This is a message I’ve been looking forward to sending... I’ve been working on a very special project - a book! Writing is such a personal process and between these pages you will find many little pieces of me. The book is called Reflections and is essentially thoughts and musings from me on inner and outer beauty. We live in a world where so much is about how we present ourselves on the outside and there is fun to be had here but true beauty comes from within… there is an alignment that needs to happen and finding that balance hasn’t always felt so easy.' (sic)
Now read:
Holly Willoughby's new book Reflections is officially out now
Holly Willoughby ecstatic as she lands role in her favourite TV show
Everything you need to know about This Morning's Phillip Schofield