IT has already been six months since Holly Willoughby stepped down from This Morning and now the former queen of daytime telly has a big plan to reinvent herself, with the support of her husband, TV heavyweight, Dan Baldwin.
The 43-year-old’s hotly anticipated Netflix show that she’s fronting with survival expert Bear Grylls, will be a gritty new adventure for the star when it airs next year. Far away the cosy world of prime-time telly for which she is known.
Indeed in the past, Holly has presented a number of shows produced by her husband, including, ITV2’s Celebrity Juice and the BBC’s Play to the Whistle to name a few.
But now sources are suggesting that Dan and Holly have made a ‘marriage pact,’ to honour her desire to work independently.
Dan Baldwin whose company, Hungry Bear Media recently spearheaded the Gladiators reboot on BBC, is said to be planning on recreating the classic dating show Blind Date.
But the 49-year-old is said to have put forward Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman as the shows host, instead of his wife.
Now insiders have suggested that this is further evidence of Holly’s strategic move to reinvent herself as a high-profile content creator in her own right.
The source told OK magazine: “When Holly’s husband Dan admitted that he wants to do a Blind Date remake everyone thought it would be Holly fronting the show. But the fact that he has eyed up Claudia Winkleman for it just goes to show that Holly is really trying to distance herself from the TV she’s been associated with for so long,” they said.
Discussing the possibility of a brand new Blind Date, Dan, said recently: “As well as coming up with new ideas we’ve always got one eye on what could come back and what could be a hit like Gladiators is.
“Another one that you’d like to see back, Blind Date, are we ready for that? What a Saturday night that was. I’m thinking Blind Date with Claudia Winkleman on BBC One, how about it?”
TV insiders say that Holly’s transition to the global platform of Netflix opens up her appeal to a worldwide audience, potentially generating a wealth of opportunity, previously out of reach.
It’s clear that for the next phase of her career, she is keen to show a different aspect of her ability and prove her potential as a great broadcast talent.
Luckily she can rely on the support and expert advice of her husband, who has more than 20 years experience in television.
The couple have been married 17 years and share three children; Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and Chester, eight.
