Holly Willoughby looks in good spirits as she enjoys girls' night in with Nicole Appleton - after two of her shows are axed just months apart

Daily Mail​

14-06-2025

Holly Willoughby looked in high spirits as she enjoyed a girls' night in with her friend Nicole Appleton on Friday.
The TV presenter, 44, was all smiles despite recent reports that two of her shows have been axed just months apart.
Brushing off the drama, Holly appeared upbeat as she took to Instagram to share a glimpse of her fun-filled evening.
In the snap, the former This Morning star couldn't contain her giggles as Nicole, 50, and her other pal Shiarra Bell leaned in for a playful selfie.
She captioned the post with a love heart emoji and tagged her pals.
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It was recently revealed that Holly's Netflix show, Celebrity Bear Hunt, was axed after just one series, amid claims that it was too expensive to produce.
This blow came just months after her other mainstream programme, Dancing On Ice, was rested back in March, while she also decided to step down from presenting duties on You Bet!
The 44-year-old is now at a crossroads in her career, with the star also without an ITV show to host for the first time in over two decades.
Having been the darling of TV for several years, Holly is still in huge demand with a plethora of options open to her as she navigates this tricky stage in her career.
According to The Sun, one option could be the reboot of the classic series Record Breakers, which her TV producer husband Dan Baldwin, 50, is currently working on.
A source told the production that Holly would be the 'perfect fit' for the show, which at present is in its early stages and currently does not have a channel attached.
They explained: 'Record Breakers is likely to be a prime-time hit and it would make perfect sense for Holly to take the reins. She has worked alongside Dan before and the pair know what it takes to make great telly.'
Meanwhile, Holly has also been linked to the revival of Cilla Black's Blind Date, alongside the likes of Claudia Winkleman and Davina McCall.
Originally, rumours suggested the ITV hit would make a comeback on BBC but now sources claim the love-match show will reboot on Disney+.
In March, Holly was tipped to become the next Cilla, with the presenter lining up a string of big-money deals worth up to £10million.
The revival was previously being considered by Holly's husband Dan Baldwin, and the star had previously stepped into Cilla's shoes when she hosted a reboot of Surprise Surprise.
An insider told The Sun at the time: 'There might not sound like obvious parallels between Holly and Cilla, but they're both two of the biggest stars of modern telly.
'Emulating Cilla isn't just about taking on her shows, it's as much about carving out a niche as a solo presenter with serious clout in the world of telly.
'But together with her husband Dan, they form the ultimate power couple in TV. She has the public appeal that gets viewers tuning in, while he has a track record of making hugely successful TV shows.'
Elsewhere, it is said that the blonde beauty is also being eyed up for a new Channel 4 show, thought to be called Secret Singers, which hunts for raw and undiscovered singing talent.
With it tipped to be a 'hugely popular' family show, the insider noted that showmakers are on the lookout for the 'perfect host', with Holly's current TV break being 'perfect timing'.
According to The Sun, one option could be the reboot of the classic series Record Breakers, which her TV producer husband Dan Baldwin, 50, is currently working on (pictured on This Morning with Philip Schofield in 2019)
MailOnline has contacted Holly's representatives for comment.
Holly 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 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.'