Holly Willoughby has returned to the spotlight, resuming her role as host on popular shows like Dancing on Ice. Her next career move involves Netflix's Celebrity Bear Hunt, marking a significant shift after her departure from This Morning in October 2023. The decision to leave the morning show stemmed from a harrowing plot to kidnap her, which was uncovered earlier this year. A man named Gavin Plumb was found guilty of soliciting murder, inciting rape, and planning the kidnapping, leading to his life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years.
Willoughby waived her right to anonymity in relation to the case, openly discussing the ordeal in her first interview in over a year. She described the situation as "tough" but insisted she is "made of quite tough stuff." Despite the challenges, she remains determined not to let the situation dominate her life.
"You can either decide, right, I can take this on board and it can absolutely affect all aspects of my life, or I can make a choice to go, let's focus on everything that's positive and good, all those important things."
Reflecting on her choice to move forward positively, Willoughby emphasized the importance of relying on the justice system's efforts.
"You have to go: I choose to positively move forward and rely on all those people – the police, the court, the judge, the jury – all those people to do their role. And that's what I had to do."
Willoughby expressed relief at being able to participate more in her children's lives since leaving This Morning. She has enjoyed doing school runs and attending assemblies—changes she considers positive. In her interview, she candidly shared that discussing the incident was "really so hard," yet she found strength in focusing on the positives.
"Not an option" for her to let the situation take over her life.
The television personality did not mention her former co-host Philip Schofield in her interview with the Sunday Times. Schofield had stepped down from This Morning earlier in the year following revelations about an affair with a former colleague. Willoughby humorously described herself as "a wimp" compared to her co-host Bear Grylls.
Despite the challenges, Willoughby remains optimistic about her future endeavors. She acknowledges that everyone faces difficult times but believes it is essential to keep moving forward.
"So many people go through tough things – they just do."
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