Holly Willoughby is looking forward to the future as she launches new Netflix series Celebrity Bear Hunt with old pal Bear Grylls after a difficult few years
After a tumultuous couple years, is now embracing the future with great courage and optimism. At 43, the presenter of Netflix’s new show Celebrity Bear Hunt is tight-lipped about what’s in store for her next, though she acknowledges that her long-time friend Bear Grylls played a pivotal role in helping her family overcome the shock of a failed abduction attempt.
When probed about her future projects and potential further collaborations with Netflix, Holly flashes a knowing smile that hints at plans in the making. She told the Mirror: “All I’ve learned out of life is you never know what’s around the corner. So I’m like, one day at a time, one step at a time, just like in the jungle.”
In the new Netlix series Bear and Holly oversee 12 celebrities braving the wild as they learn survival techniques, with those falling short in the challenge facing elimination. Holly confesses to learning extensively from Bear, sharing: “I just assumed that here was this man that had no fear. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
“And actually he does have fear, but he doesn’t let that fear hold him back. And I thought, God, that’s brilliant. It really is something I want to try, and even if I can do it a tiny bit, then I think that will help.”
(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Holly, who will be presenting the show solo, discusses how this marks the first time she has done promo on her own for a television project since leaving This Morning – a move prompted by the harrowing circumstances when security guard Gavin Plumb received a prison sentence for his heinous scheme to abduct, assault, and murder her, reports the Mirror.
Before that incident, there was upheaval when her co-presenter Phillip Schofield left This Morning amidst controversy over an “unwise” affair with a younger colleague, leading to a breakdown in communication between him and Holly. When asked if her new project away from ITV signifies a new beginning, Holly reflects briefly before responding: “I think when you do anything new, it feels like that.”
She adds: “And it’s nice to try new things and go to new places. I’ve never been to Central America before, so this just felt like the right thing to do at the right time. Sometimes it’s nice to be out of your comfort zone. And when Bear calls me and said, ‘you want to go on an adventure? ‘ I was like, yes, 100%.”
To film this series, Holly left her children at home, Harry, 15, Belle, 13, Chester, 10, and her husband, TV producer Dan Baldwin, to spend three weeks filming in Costa Rica. She said: “My kids are that little bit older now, so it felt like the right time that I could do it, you know, the wheels weren’t going to fall off my life if I left home.”
Despite being accustomed to co-hosting, Holly didn’t see presenting solo as an issue, saying, “I know what you mean, normally there’s somebody alongside me. But actually, what’s been quite nice, obviously Bear’s with me for a fair bit of it. And if Bear’s not there, then I’m either with the celebrities or I’m with them.
“So for me, like when you’re on telly, even if you’re on your own, it’s always about connections. You’re either connecting through the camera with the person that’s watching, or you’re connecting with the person you’re interviewing, so it doesn’t actually feel like a lonely place ever. I don’t think.”
The star-studded line-up of the show includes Spice Girl Mel B, former tennis champion Boris Becker, TV presenter Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, models Lottie Moss and Leomie Anderson, and Strictly judge Shirley Ballas. Journalist Steph McGovern, Ted Lasso star Kola Bokinni, TV chef Big Zuu, Inbetweeners actor Joe Thomas, former Saturdays singer Una Healy and ex-rugby player Danny Cipriani makeup the dozen.
(Image: PA)
They are put to the test with a range of survival tasks, with some managing better than others. Bear confesses he had high hopes for Boris to overcome adversity but “the jungle took its toll”, while Lottie surprised everyone by “letting out her warrior spirit”.
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