Holly Willoughby's Celebrity Bear Hunt 'could face the axe' after dip in ratings as Netflix bosses are 'not rushing' for a second series

Daily Mail​

02-05-2025

Holly Willoughby 's Netflix series Celebrity Bear Hunt is reportedly facing the axe.
The presenter, 44, was reportedly paid almost £1million to host the reality show for the streaming giant, meaning she raked in something like £40,000 per minute on screen.
However, the much-anticipated show seems to be in limbo.
This time last year, celebs including Boris Becker and Mel B were already in the jungle in Costa Rica, being put through their paces by survival expert Bear Grylls.
Yet, although ratings were healthy initially, the show fell short of being a smash hit – and Netflix is not rushing back for a second helping.
The producers and crew involved last year are all engaged on other projects now, and a return to the format is, at the very least, delayed, if not off altogether.
Netflix did not respond to requests for comment.
A source told the Daily Mail: 'About a month ago I heard it was in the balance. The ratings were not that great and the show cost an absolute fortune to make.
'There were meetings about how it could be made for less, how the budgets might be cut, but it does cost a fortune to fly celebrities somewhere remote for a whole month, and look after them.'
There was high drama on the show, which first aired in February, when interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen became tangled in some ropes while rafting, lost consciousness, and had to be revived on the beach by Grylls.
Llewelyn-Bowen said: 'I had a nasty moment where I was actually blacked out on the beach and I came to and I saw this beautiful blonde with sunlight behind her … and luckily it was Holly!
'When she leaned forward and said: 'You alright, Laurence?' I knew it was Holly ... but if the angel Gabriel looks anything like Holly Willoughby, I think the angel Gabriel is gonna be very chuffed.'
Holly now appears to be taking her TV career in a new direction as she is now without an ITV show following Dancing On Ice's axing.
She recently dashed ITV's hopes that she would be their Saturday night star by turning down a lucrative deal to front game show You Bet!.
ITV sources told the Mail she was 'busy with other commitments' after Holly branched out to host Celebrity Bear Hunt in her first big role away from ITV.
It is the first time that Holly has not had an ITV show on her schedule for the first time in more than two decades after becoming the broadcaster's TV darling.
She has long been a familiar face on both ITV and ITV2, hosting on shows including Surprise Surprise, Celebrity Juice, The Games, The Xtra Factor and I'm A Celebrity.
Holly is arguably best known for having fronted This Morning alongside Phillip Schofield from 2009 until 2023, while she also helmed Dancing On Ice from 2006.
However, ITV viewers now won't be able to get a dose of Holly as there has not yet been any public news of her having signed on to another project with the channel.
In a huge blow to ITV, Holly then turned down a lucrative deal to front a new series of the classic game show You Bet! because of her other commitments.
A source told the Mail: 'You Bet was so popular with the viewers wished it came back for two shows that ITV bosses decided to give it a full run.
'Holly and Stephen are a great double act and they were both brilliant so they were asked back.
'But Holly politely declined, she has other commitments and couldn't make it work.
'She is in demand and now she isn't shackled to This Morning four days a week, she is able to look at more options, some are global.
'Celebrity Bear Hunt was a huge thing for her, her first role with Netflix and she just loved it and they loved her so there could very well be much more where that came from.
'The world is now Holly's oyster, there are so many opportunities for her.'