SHE was the darling of daytime television for 14 years and became a household name on ITV’s This Morning.
But now Holly Willoughby is preparing for a move from British favourite to global star thanks to a mega-money deal with Netflix.
Insiders revealed Holly’s team negotiated a mammoth fee for her deal with the streaming giant, which will see her hosting a new reality show alongside Bear Grylls.
The series, which will be available worldwide from next year, gives Holly access to a global market.
Holly’s deal is said to be worth close to a seven-figure sum, which is the same amount she was reported to have been paid per year by ITV.
A source said: “Holly and her team grafted for this deal with Netflix and negotiated a very attractive package.
“She’ll earn more for her show with Bear in a few weeks than she made in a year at ITV.
“Holly is a seasoned broadcaster and a safe pair of hands which made her a popular choice with Netflix.
‘Clever businesswoman’
“She had many offers from UK networks after leaving This Morning but the offer from Bear’s production company was a no-brainer.
“Holly knows her worth and only wants to put her name on credible projects. Her show with Bear has a lot of money behind it and it’s expected to be a worldwide hit.
“She is ready to go into the next league. There is a lot riding on this show but Holly and her team already think they could be on to a winner.”
Following her high-profile exit from This Morning last October, Holly, 43, has carefully started to curate her image all over again.
HOAR can reveal she recently employed the publicity team behind Maya Jama and other big names to start afresh.
Over the past four years, Maya has gone from being a Radio 1 presenter to a huge TV personality who commands major deals with brands including Rimmel and Dolce & Gabbana.
And our insider said Holly could be on a similar trajectory, now her ranges with Marks and Spencer and high-street homeware brand Dunelm are believed to be on hold.
They added: “Holly has overhauled her team and is working with the company who look after Maya.
‘The future is looking bright’
“The Love Island host’s image has been cleverly formulated over the past few years and she has gone from being a DJ to one of the UK’s biggest stars.
“Her team also looks after pop stars Sam Smith and Zayn Malik.
“Holly already has a huge fan base and is well regarded, but having fresh blood on her team will help her carve out new opportunities.
“She has been focusing on her wellness brand Wylde Moon too, which is a passion project of hers.
“It’s a very exciting time for her and the future is looking bright.
“Brands are always clamouring to work with Holly because of her family-friendly appeal. But she is being very careful with who she aligns herself with.
“She is a clever businesswoman with a formidable team behind her.”
Last year was remarkably difficult for Holly, who overcame huge professional and personal challenges.
In the spring, she faced the biggest crisis of her career when co-host Phillip Schofield quit This Morning after an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague.
HOAR first revealed how Holly and Phil’s once-close friendship had deteriorated irretrievably by May, with him later confessing to lying to her and ITV bosses about his relationship with the staffer.
Holly spoke only a handful of times, including admitting her pain at being lied to by Phil, who stepped down that same month.
In a statement at the time, Holly said: “When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not.
“It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie.”
Following his exit, Holly came back to This Morning in July but chose to quit just two months later after an alleged kidnap plot.
Security guard Gavin Plumb, 36, will stand trial on June 24 after pleading not guilty to charges, including incitement to commit kidnap.
The incident shook Holly to her core and she completely retreated from public life for three months.
She made her television comeback on ITV as the host of Dancing On Ice alongside Stephen Mulhern.
The series began in January and was a huge success for Holly, with her fans celebrating her return on social media.
‘Show off her talents’
At the same time, HOAR revealed how Holly had been put forward for the role on The Bear Hunt, with insiders telling us she was the only woman they wanted for the job.
The decision to accept the role was not taken lightly by Holly, who, after stepping away from This Morning, had been focusing on being present for her children, Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and eight-year-old Chester, with her husband, TV exec Dan Baldwin.
Casting for the Netflix competition series has already started, and Holly is expected to fly out to Costa Rica for the show in the coming months.
The Bear Hunt has a similar premise to I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! which Holly hosted for one series with Declan Donnelly in 2018.
The production will follow a host of British celebrities who are taken into the jungle where they face a series of challenges.
The losing group will then be pitted against Bear, who must hunt them down using techniques he learned as an SAS paratrooper.
A source involved with the programme told HOAR that no expense has been spared for the series, which is being made by the same teams behind the Amazon Prime kickboxing docuseries Idris Elba: Fighter and Netflix dating game show Too Hot To Handle.
Depending on the success of The Bear Hunt, Holly could be in the running for a raft of deals away from terrestrial TV.
Our source added: “Holly dipping her toe into a project this big will show off her talents to a far larger market. And if The Bear Hunt is as big as expected, it could be career-changing.
“ITV is keen to get her back on Dancing On Ice next year alongside Stephen Mulhern. It’s a show that is close to her heart, so it’s likely she will sign on again towards the end of next year.
“But Holly is aware that being on Netflix will open her up to a whole new range of opportunities with the streamer and its competitors.
“For now she is focused on making The Bear Hunt a success and can’t wait to fly out to Costa Rica and get started.
“It’s a very exciting new beginning for her and after a tough year, this feels like a massive step in a new direction.”
