Holly Willoughby is packing her suitcases and jetting off to Costa Rica to film her brand-new Netflix show. And, while the star is keen to get back into the glamorous world of TV, sources tells heat she’s also extremely nervous – and is leaning on husband Dan Baldwin for support.
In March, it was announced that former This Morning star Holly, 43, will co-host Bear Grylls’ new show Bear Hunt. The series will follow British celebrities as they’re dropped into the depths of the South American jungle with survival expert Bear. And, as Holly prepares to leave, we’re told the nerves are beginning to hit.
While the This Morning studios were only a short drive away from Holly’s London home, Bear Hunt will see the mum of three fly halfway across the planet for over a month. Revealing that the career move will take Holly “out of her comfort zone”, our source says, “Obviously, she did I’m A Celebrity in Australia, but that was with ITV, who are like her family.
This will be a whole new experience, and Holly doesn’t really know what to expect. Part of her is massively excited about what lies ahead, and she’s eager to get stuck into TV again after being away from work for so long. But, at the same time, she is nervous about the fact that she’s going to be so far away from her family and friends for so long. She loves her home life, so this will be a huge challenge.”
But behind Holly every step of the way, is her TV producer husband Dan, 49 – and while it won’t be easy being without her partner of 20 years, the insider says Holly knows they’ll get through it. “Dan has always been Holly’s biggest supporter,” we’re told. “He’s got her back, even more so now than normal. Holly is anxious about being so far away from home for such a big block of time, but Dan has reassured her that it will all work out fine.”
The source continues, “He’s been her rock – especially after everything that happened last year – and she wouldn’t be able to do it without him. Their marriage has really gone from strength to strength, and Dan is immensely proud of her. This new show is going to take Holly out of her comfort zone, but she feels mentally and physically prepared.”
And, according to our insider, Holly has already made plans for Dan to fly out to South America for some of the time, along with their children Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and Chester, eight. “He will be spending a bit of time over there, which is hugely reassuring for Holly, and they’re hoping the kids can be there for the school holidays.”
It was recently reported that Netflix has spent £1million on security for the show, hiring ex-special forces experts to protect the all-star cast and crew. Our source says, “After all Holly’s beenthrough, security is massively important. She’s relieved that Netflix have gone above and beyond on that front, and everything has been taken care of.”
It's been a rocky 12 months for Holly, who found her career turned upside down after her co-host and former best friend Phillip Schofield, 62, became front-page headlines after he admitted lying about his relationship with a younger This Morning colleague. Holly was then at the centre of a terrifying alleged kidnap plot, which saw her make the decision to leave the show – telling fansshediditfor “meand my family”. So, not only is this new show a chance her to get back into work, it will also give her the potential to tap into a global platform. But the pressure is on for it to be a success.
The source says, “Holly wants to use this show to demonstrate a new side to her and prove that she can stand on her own two feet and that she’s back. She’s been through hell in the past year, and she hopes this will represent the start of a new chapter, as well as open up some doors to similar projects in the future.”
