It was the show that elevated her to primetime TV status. But 19 years after Holly Willoughby first started as Dancing On Ice’s co-presenter, she’s now facing speculation that the show may be axed. And while, as heat has reported, Holly has considered leaving the skating competition, she’s always believed it would be on her terms. Now, as whispers of cancellation grow following a massive fall in ratings, we’re told she’s panicking about her future.
‘Holly really feels like she’s at a crossroads,’ says an insider close to the 44 year old, who quit her role at This Morning in October 2023, after it was revealed she’d been the target of a kidnap and murder plot.
‘It’s getting even more real now that it looks like the Dancing On Ice gig could end. That was always a constant, but now she has a potentially big gap to fill in her schedule. She knows she’s been in the TV game for a long time now, and the industry thrives on fresh faces and talent.’
While Holly took a brief break from the spotlight following her horrific kidnap ordeal, Dancing On Ice marked her return to TV in January 2024. However, with the show concluding its 17th series, ITV bigwigs are now reportedly contemplating its future.
Nothing has been decided, but skating legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have already confirmed they’ll no longer perform on future series (though they’ll be happy to continue as judges), adding to concerns that the show is losing its lustre. And the ratings seem to attest to that. This year, the series - which saw Coronation Street actor Sam Aston win - drew in a viewership of around 2.4million per episode – a significant drop from its glory days, when up to 12m viewers would tune in.
For Holly’s part, she’s been making moves to step out of her comfort zone, which she did earlier this year hosting Celebrity Bear Hunt with Bear Grylls on Netflix. Yet, while the show received positive reviews, we’re told it didn’t rejuvenate her career in the way she’d hoped. Now, our source says, she’s measuring herself against her fellow TV stars, and worrying she’s coming up short.
‘Viewers respond to loud personalities like Alison Hammond, or people who aren’t afraid to make a fool of themselves and be real like Stacey Solomon. But Holly has always kept herself very composed in front of the cameras,’ we’re told.
‘She finds it hard to break away from that. She’s doing her best to be excited about the future, but the truth is she’s also fearful. It’s unknown – and her next big job in TV has yet to materialise.’
