There was a time when you couldn't switch on the TV without seeing Holly Willoughby's face - but her diary has been left rather empty for the first time in over two decades, after it was confirmed Celebrity Bear Hunt, the show she fronts with Bear Grylls, had been axed by Netflix. But, heat has been told Holly has been offered a career lifeline by Simon Cowell, as he eyes her up to be a judge on Britain's Got Talent.
'Holly's a person who Simon's always admired, and he would love her to be a part of BGT,' says our source. 'It's not certain whether Amanda Holden will come back for another series, as she has a lot of other projects on, and Holly would be a perfect replacement. Plus, it's a show she's really interested in working on.'
Holly, 44 and Simon, 65 have history - she presented The Xtra Factor between 2008 and 2009. However, we're told he needs to act fast to sign Holly following rumours that the BBC are preparing a bid for her to be a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, with our insider revealing that he's willing to make her a big money offer of up to £1million to secure her.
'Simon has got a fight on his hands, because the BBC are also circling and indicated there ready to make an offer. Holly remains a key target for Strictly producers, so if ITV want to land her in time to film auditions later this year, they need to come up with a massive offer,' says the source.
However Holly potentially replacing Amanda could prove awkward, with rumoured tensions between the pair, who were once close friends. Amanda, 54, has previously thrown shade at Holly, making veiled remarks about her presenting skills, and last month, she seemingly made a new swipe at holly on her radio show. After she said that her future with Netflix showed Cheat: Unfinished Business - which was reportedly due to be renewed - wasn't necessarily set in stone, her co-presenter Jamie Theakston asked if they were considering replacing her with Holly (the news of Bear Hunt's cancellation had just broken) to which Amanda quickly replied, 'No, they want a proper presenter.' Ouch!
And in 2023, Amanda - who stood in for Holly on this morning in 2014 while she was on maternity leave - appeared to mock Holly's 'Are you OK?' intro to the ITV daytime show following Phillip Schofield's resignation. Despite these incidents, Amanda has always denied rumours of a 'toxic feud' or 'bitter rivalry' with Holly, calling the claims 'utter rubbish.'
Formerly the queen of telly, with This Morning, Dancing on Ice and I'm A Celebrity on her CV, Holly's star power isn't quite what it was. In October 2023, she quit This Morning after learning she was the target of a horrific kidnap, rape and murder plot. She continued to front Dancing on Ice until ITV's decision to axe it earlier this year.
DOI's cancellation came days after Holly stepped down from co-hosting the rebooted You Bet! alongside pal Stephen Mulhern, after just one series. This was all before the further blow of Netflix's decision not to make a second series of Bear Hunt.
While this extra free time has allowed Holly to spend time with her family - she shares sons Harry, 15, and Chester, nine, and daughter Belle, 12, with TV producer husband Dan Baldwin - and her Wellness brand Wylde Moon, we're told that she's feeling a little lost.
'Holly feels like her career is in limbo,' says our insider. 'This is the first time in a very, very long time she hasn't been attached to a major TV show, and it's a weird situation for her to be in. Normally at this time, she'd be looking forward to her summer break from This Morning. But her diary has been clear for most of the year.'
The source continues, 'As unsettling as it is for Holly not to have a regular gig, it does offer her a lot of opportunities. She's a fighter, and is ready to throw herself back into a new project. It's been a hellish couple of years, and she's determined to make the most of everything that comes her way.'