Why Holly Willoughby refused to take part in Channel 5 show about kidnap plot
A new Channel 5 documentary looks into the plot of Gavin Plumb who planned to kidnap and murder Holly Willoughby - although the presenter 'refused' to take part in the show.
Security guard Gavin Plumb, from Essex, had planned to kidnap the TV star, with Essex police explaining that Plumb had "developed an obsession with Holly Willoughby over a number of years".
Now, Channel 5 has made a documentary titled The Plot to Kill Holly Willoughby - which airs tonight - uncovering Plump's horrifying acts.
Although Holly will not appear in the program herself, there will be commentary from journalists and criminal psychologists.
The TV presenter refused to participate in the documentary, which was originally set to be titled, Stalking Holly Willoughby. With a source telling The Sun: "Producers are ploughing ahead in making it regardless' because they know it will be a 'ratings hit'."
"She declined to be interviewed by producers about the ordeal and her reps informed Channel 5 she wasn't technically stalked so their title is incorrect. There is also concern that the events will be sensationally dramatised for effect.
"It's an awkward move, as it's not their story to tell."
In July of last year, Plumb was convicted after spending nearly ten years consumed by a disturbing obsession with her. He had participated in multiple online forums - including one named "Abduct Lovers" - where he shared detailed plans to abduct the presenter from her home.
During his sentencing, jurors were presented with evidence of conversations between Plumb and a man known as "Marc", in which they exchanged graphic details about the planned crime.
Plumb was ultimately caught when an undercover US officer infiltrated the Abduct Lovers forum and became so alarmed by his messages that the information was passed onto the FBI.
The show will highlight Plumb's plans showing thousands of images he had of Holly, along with how he tracked her movements, researched her home and security arrangements and had recruited other men to help turn his sick fantasies into reality.
Showing that the men were planning on abducting her from her house in London, using chloroform to knock out her husband and use her children as leverage. Taking the TV star to a remote location to sexually assault her and then murder her.
When Holly learnt of the plans, her life was turned upside down as she withdrew from public life until the police built a case against Plumb. She waived her right to anonymity in connection to the charges against Plumb, but left This Morning after her 14-year stint on the show following the offences.
Plumb was given a life-sentence and ordered to serve a minimum of 16 years in prison for his crimes.
The documentary, The Plot to Kill Holly Willoughby, airs tonight on Channel 5 at 9pm.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
We want our girls to do Love Island – reality TV is family business, says Katie Price & Kerry Katona revealing new gig
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THERE was no more glorious time for showbiz than the late Nineties – just ask Katie Price and Kerry Katona. They've been queens of the scene for nearly 30 years, forged in the fire of the Chinawhite club, lads' mags and cheesy pop. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 Former hellraisers Kerry Katona and Katie Price are hitting the road for joint tour Credit: Dan Charity 6 Best pals Kerry and Katie share a joke Credit: Dan Charity So while big nights together might now involve a takeaway and a crime documentary, they hanker after those halcyon days when being famous was fun, and showbiz parties didn't mean dodging influencers there solely to capture their 'content'. Kerry, 44, said: 'That's when pop stars and celebrities were proper celebrities! It's not like that now. 'I think me and Kate are like the two originals who are left.' Katie, 47, adds: 'I think we are. You're just sitting there and thinking, who's still going? There isn't anyone from back in those days. But that was the best time of my life!' Kerry chimes in: 'And mine. But there's no picture of me falling out of a nightclub!' Katie laughs: 'There was of me.' After they burst into the spotlight in the late 1990s, the two have remained best pals, sticking together through six husbands, ten kids, all the scandal and all the drama. They finish each other's sentences, I can't get a word in edgeways ('You won't need those questions, love,' Kerry trills) and they cackle, constantly. Grinning as she remembers those early days when she first made it big as The Sun's Page Three queen, Katie goes on: 'London is so different now. A Katie/Kerry sandwich 'We knew that back in the day, Chinawhite, Wednesday; Saturdays, Emporium; and Twice As Nice on a Sunday. Oh my God, I'm smiling because I look back at them days, the music, everything. Kerry Katona admits she 'didn't like' close pal Katie Price's Jordan alter-ego as she reveals she persuaded her to do OnlyFans 'It was just . . . you'd be excited to go out. Now I don't go to events unless I'm being paid to be there.' Kerry agrees: 'Unless you pay me to go, I wouldn't go.' And, believe it or not, they still get paid handsomely to do so. Despite more than their fair share of headlines, these girls remain showbiz royalty and can still book out a venue — which is what finds me snuggled up on a sofa, in a Katie and Kerry sandwich. Across 33 dates, they're taking An Evening with Katie Price And Kerry Katona on the road this autumn. More on that later but why, I wonder, do they reckon they've still got fans gagging for more? The thing is, with me and Kerry, we didn't map out what our lives would be. We didn't know we'd still be here 30 years on Katie Price Kerry said: 'We are relatable. That's why we're still here, because we have been through sh*t. And there's not many people in this industry who are authentic. 'We weren't like nine-year-old little girls going, 'When I grow up, I want to get married three times, I want to have five children, to three different men' but that is life.' Katie adds: 'The thing is, with me and Kerry, we didn't map out what our lives would be. We didn't know we'd still be here 30 years on. And not many people we started out with are still here — so we must be here for a reason.' With another cackle, Kerry adds: 'I think it's because of our new tt jobs.' Their baggy tops can't hide the fact both are sporting fresh and perky new assets, but there was a time when both of the surgery-loving ladies were considered natural beauties. They met in the early days, but grew inseparable after their shared stint on I'm A Celebrity in 2004. It makes them each other's most successful relationship, I venture. Not many people we started out with are still here — so we must be here for a reason Katie Price Kerry said: 'We've got lots of love for each other. I know I could tell Kate anything and it wouldn't go anywhere else. 'I can go three months and not speak to Kate and just pick up where we left. Because that's the real thing. 'You don't have to be on a phone with each other 24 hours a day. That's a real friendship. There are things nobody knows anything about I have told Kate, and Kate has told me things, and it goes no further.' Kerry married Westlife star Brian McFadden in 2002, Mark Croft in 2007 and George Kay in 2014. Katie's first was Peter Andre in 2005 — with Kerry as a bridesmaid — then Alex Reid in 2010 and Kieran Hayler in 2013. Maybe they should just commit to each other, I muse. Kerry laughs: 'We said that! We might as well!' 6 Kerry and Katie's friendship has survived through the marriages and scandals Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Katie adds: 'We actually did say that. We said we could do a wedding programme where we're marrying each other.' It's probably no surprise that sources have suggested they'd once enjoyed a romantic relationship. The double act trill: 'What are those sources? HP and ketchup!' Kerry adds: 'Oh please. Seriously. Silly! But there's love there isn't there Kate?' Katie said: 'There's always going to be love there.' It's even easier to hang out now that their daughters, Katie's Princess and Kerry's Heidi, both 18, are also best mates. The 'momagers' have got big hopes for their girls — and scoff at any claims of nepotism. Kerry said: 'I'm desperate for Princess and Heidi to do the Jungle together. Imagine. 'I can see it in her eyes' Katie added: 'I always say Love Island. Heidi and Princess need to do it together.' Kerry said: 'The way I see it is, forget management, forget fame, what an amazing memory. What an amazing adventure. 'So I think if Heidi goes to Love Island for three months and has the best time then that's amazing. This is our family business. This is what we do as a family Kerry Katona 'Both me and Kate have done every reality show. 'We are the reality queens. We're part of TV history. When we did I'm A Celebrity, the ratings were the highest they ever had. And we're a part of that. 'Everyone talks about nepotism right, but everyone has a contact for somebody. I can open a door for you. Whether you get through that door and you stay through it, that's on your own f*cking merit. 'You don't see Brooklyn Beckham playing f*cking football, because he's sh*t. 'This is our family business. This is what we do as a family. 'And between the pair of us, we do have an orphanage to feed.' As well as Heidi, Kerry has a son, Maxwell, 17, with Croft. Then there is Molly, 23, and Lilly-Sue, 22, with McFadden and DJ, 11 with Kay. Katie has Princess and Junior, 20, with Andre, Harvey, 23, with footballer Dwight Yorke and Jett, 11, and Bunny, ten, with Hayler. 6 Katie wants to see her daughter Princess on Love Island Credit: Instagram 6 Kerry's daughter Heidi Credit: David Cummings Katie says: 'Quite often if I need to remember something I think, let me Google it. If I have to fill out a form and do the kids' dates of births, I Google it.' I'm getting a front row seat to the kinds of banter fans can expect from the brand new tour, conceived after the success of their double act as the stepsisters in adult panto Cinderella. They promise this production will be a little more sophisticated though — unless Jordan comes out to play. Kerry said: 'With Kate, I can see the alter ego change, when she goes from Kate to being Jordan I can see it in her eyes. 'Sometimes I have to go, get back in your box.' Katie said: 'She gets embarrassed! Like when we did adult panto, she can't bear it! You'd think that with her Only Fans, Kerry would be quite cool with it.' Both me and Kate, we've done the drugs, we've done the bankruptcy, we've done the divorces, we have lost so much. We are still here. This is resilience Kerry Katona Kerry said: 'At the adult panto, I saw the alter ego arrive and I thought, I'm f*cked here. And I literally ended up going in the wings, and I was so bright red. 'She was in her element, and I'm like, oh my God, I'm going to die.' The girls have written the show themselves and this time it's all about them. Kerry explains: 'It's about mental health. It's about struggles. It's about how you got through it. You know, I'm more than happy to talk about heartbreak, but we're not doing exes. 'Both me and Kate, we've done the drugs, we've done the bankruptcy, we've done the divorces, we have lost so much. We are still here. This is resilience. 'Women, we do not lift each other up enough. No one's prepared to straighten each other's crown, and that's what me and Kate do for each other. That is what this tour is about.' With Kate, I can see the alter ego change, when she goes from Kate to being Jordan I can see it in her eyes Kerry Katona Katie adds: 'And how it's changed us as people. I don't like to say I'm glad I've gone through it, but it's made me who I am today, and that is a lot more happy. I'm in the best place I've ever been.' It wouldn't be a tour with these two without them belting out some ballads, and they've even promised some dancing. Maybe things haven't changed that much from nights in Chinawhite, after all. Katie said: 'The thing is, I don't know what it's like to have a nine- to-five job, getting on the train, working in an office. I have no idea what that life would be. I've been doing it from such a young age.' Kerry added: 'We do it 24 hours every day. We are badass boss bitches. We run our own sh*t and we are creating this ourselves.' Cheers to the next 30 years. 6 Kerry and Katie with The Sun's Felicity Cross Credit: Dan Charity
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
We want our girls to do Love Island – reality TV is family business, says Katie Price & Kerry Katona
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THERE was no more glorious time for showbiz than the late Nineties – just ask Katie Price and Kerry Katona. They've been queens of the scene for nearly 30 years, forged in the fire of the Chinawhite club, lads' mags and cheesy pop. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 Former hellraisers Kerry Katona and Katie Price are hitting the road for joint tour Credit: Dan Charity 6 Best pals Kerry and Katie share a joke Credit: Dan Charity So while big nights together might now involve a takeaway and a crime documentary, they hanker after those halcyon days when being famous was fun, and showbiz parties didn't mean dodging influencers there solely to capture their 'content'. Kerry, 44, said: 'That's when pop stars and celebrities were proper celebrities! It's not like that now. 'I think me and Kate are like the two originals who are left.' Katie, 47, adds: 'I think we are. You're just sitting there and thinking, who's still going? There isn't anyone from back in those days. But that was the best time of my life!' Kerry chimes in: 'And mine. But there's no picture of me falling out of a nightclub!' Katie laughs: 'There was of me.' After they burst into the spotlight in the late 1990s, the two have remained best pals, sticking together through six husbands, ten kids, all the scandal and all the drama. They finish each other's sentences, I can't get a word in edgeways ('You won't need those questions, love,' Kerry trills) and they cackle, constantly. Grinning as she remembers those early days when she first made it big as The Sun's Page Three queen, Katie goes on: 'London is so different now. A Katie/Kerry sandwich 'We knew that back in the day, Chinawhite, Wednesday; Saturdays, Emporium; and Twice As Nice on a Sunday. Oh my God, I'm smiling because I look back at them days, the music, everything. Kerry Katona admits she 'didn't like' close pal Katie Price's Jordan alter-ego as she reveals she persuaded her to do OnlyFans 'It was just . . . you'd be excited to go out. Now I don't go to events unless I'm being paid to be there.' Kerry agrees: 'Unless you pay me to go, I wouldn't go.' And, believe it or not, they still get paid handsomely to do so. Despite more than their fair share of headlines, these girls remain showbiz royalty and can still book out a venue — which is what finds me snuggled up on a sofa, in a Katie and Kerry sandwich. Across 33 dates, they're taking An Evening with Katie Price And Kerry Katona on the road this autumn. More on that later but why, I wonder, do they reckon they've still got fans gagging for more? The thing is, with me and Kerry, we didn't map out what our lives would be. We didn't know we'd still be here 30 years on Katie Price Kerry said: 'We are relatable. That's why we're still here, because we have been through sh*t. And there's not many people in this industry who are authentic. 'We weren't like nine-year-old little girls going, 'When I grow up, I want to get married three times, I want to have five children, to three different men' but that is life.' Katie adds: 'The thing is, with me and Kerry, we didn't map out what our lives would be. We didn't know we'd still be here 30 years on. And not many people we started out with are still here — so we must be here for a reason.' With another cackle, Kerry adds: 'I think it's because of our new tt jobs.' Their baggy tops can't hide the fact both are sporting fresh and perky new assets, but there was a time when both of the surgery-loving ladies were considered natural beauties. They met in the early days, but grew inseparable after their shared stint on I'm A Celebrity in 2004. It makes them each other's most successful relationship, I venture. Not many people we started out with are still here — so we must be here for a reason Katie Price Kerry said: 'We've got lots of love for each other. I know I could tell Kate anything and it wouldn't go anywhere else. 'I can go three months and not speak to Kate and just pick up where we left. Because that's the real thing. 'You don't have to be on a phone with each other 24 hours a day. That's a real friendship. There are things nobody knows anything about I have told Kate, and Kate has told me things, and it goes no further.' Kerry married Westlife star Brian McFadden in 2002, Mark Croft in 2007 and George Kay in 2014. Katie's first was Peter Andre in 2005 — with Kerry as a bridesmaid — then Alex Reid in 2010 and Kieran Hayler in 2013. Maybe they should just commit to each other, I muse. Kerry laughs: 'We said that! We might as well!' 6 Kerry and Katie's friendship has survived through the marriages and scandals Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Katie adds: 'We actually did say that. We said we could do a wedding programme where we're marrying each other.' It's probably no surprise that sources have suggested they'd once enjoyed a romantic relationship. The double act trill: 'What are those sources? HP and ketchup!' Kerry adds: 'Oh please. Seriously. Silly! But there's love there isn't there Kate?' Katie said: 'There's always going to be love there.' It's even easier to hang out now that their daughters, Katie's Princess and Kerry's Heidi, both 18, are also best mates. The 'momagers' have got big hopes for their girls — and scoff at any claims of nepotism. Kerry said: 'I'm desperate for Princess and Heidi to do the Jungle together. Imagine. 'I can see it in her eyes' Katie added: 'I always say Love Island. Heidi and Princess need to do it together.' Kerry said: 'The way I see it is, forget management, forget fame, what an amazing memory. What an amazing adventure. 'So I think if Heidi goes to Love Island for three months and has the best time then that's amazing. This is our family business. This is what we do as a family Kerry Katona 'Both me and Kate have done every reality show. 'We are the reality queens. We're part of TV history. When we did I'm A Celebrity, the ratings were the highest they ever had. And we're a part of that. 'Everyone talks about nepotism right, but everyone has a contact for somebody. I can open a door for you. Whether you get through that door and you stay through it, that's on your own f*cking merit. 'You don't see Brooklyn Beckham playing f*cking football, because he's sh*t. 'This is our family business. This is what we do as a family. 'And between the pair of us, we do have an orphanage to feed.' As well as Heidi, Kerry has a son, Maxwell, 17, with Croft. Then there is Molly, 23, and Lilly-Sue, 22, with McFadden and DJ, 11 with Kay. Katie has Princess and Junior, 20, with Andre, Harvey, 23, with footballer Dwight Yorke and Jett, 11, and Bunny, ten, with Hayler. 6 Katie wants to see her daughter Princess on Love Island Credit: Instagram 6 Kerry's daughter Heidi Credit: David Cummings Katie says: 'Quite often if I need to remember something I think, let me Google it. If I have to fill out a form and do the kids' dates of births, I Google it.' I'm getting a front row seat to the kinds of banter fans can expect from the brand new tour, conceived after the success of their double act as the stepsisters in adult panto Cinderella. They promise this production will be a little more sophisticated though — unless Jordan comes out to play. Kerry said: 'With Kate, I can see the alter ego change, when she goes from Kate to being Jordan I can see it in her eyes. 'Sometimes I have to go, get back in your box.' Katie said: 'She gets embarrassed! Like when we did adult panto, she can't bear it! You'd think that with her Only Fans, Kerry would be quite cool with it.' Both me and Kate, we've done the drugs, we've done the bankruptcy, we've done the divorces, we have lost so much. We are still here. This is resilience Kerry Katona Kerry said: 'At the adult panto, I saw the alter ego arrive and I thought, I'm f*cked here. And I literally ended up going in the wings, and I was so bright red. 'She was in her element, and I'm like, oh my God, I'm going to die.' The girls have written the show themselves and this time it's all about them. Kerry explains: 'It's about mental health. It's about struggles. It's about how you got through it. You know, I'm more than happy to talk about heartbreak, but we're not doing exes. 'Both me and Kate, we've done the drugs, we've done the bankruptcy, we've done the divorces, we have lost so much. We are still here. This is resilience. 'Women, we do not lift each other up enough. No one's prepared to straighten each other's crown, and that's what me and Kate do for each other. That is what this tour is about.' With Kate, I can see the alter ego change, when she goes from Kate to being Jordan I can see it in her eyes Kerry Katona Katie adds: 'And how it's changed us as people. I don't like to say I'm glad I've gone through it, but it's made me who I am today, and that is a lot more happy. I'm in the best place I've ever been.' It wouldn't be a tour with these two without them belting out some ballads, and they've even promised some dancing. Maybe things haven't changed that much from nights in Chinawhite, after all. Katie said: 'The thing is, I don't know what it's like to have a nine- to-five job, getting on the train, working in an office. I have no idea what that life would be. I've been doing it from such a young age.' Kerry added: 'We do it 24 hours every day. We are badass boss bitches. We run our own sh*t and we are creating this ourselves.' Cheers to the next 30 years. 6 Kerry and Katie with The Sun's Felicity Cross Credit: Dan Charity
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Strictly Come Dancing 'sign Ellie Goldstein' after she 'breaks barriers'
Strictly Come Dancing is said to have signed a huge model to appear on the upcoming series, which is set to start in the coming months, with the pros already in rehearsals A huge model is said to have signed up for Strictly Come Dancing. Rumours are currently swirling over who may be taking to the dancefloor this year, but one star is gearing up for a show, first having previously smashed through barriers. Reports claim that model Ellie Goldstein is the latest famous face who will be dancing in front of Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke, and Motsi Mabuse. Ellie is said to be "thrilled" having already signed the contract for the show, which is believed to kick off in just a matter of weeks. Ellie, 23, has already broken barriers in the industry, having become the first model with Down syndrome to appear on the front cover of British Vogue back in 2023, as well as being honoured with her own Barbie doll, which is stocked across the globe. It comes after Strictly's Anton Du Beke shared heartbreak over wife's 'cruel and inexplicable' diagnosis. READ MORE: John Torode's businesses collapsed after racking up eye-watering debts "Ellie is thrilled to be taking part in Strictly," a source said. They went on to tell The Sun: "She has broken down so many barriers in her career, from modelling for Gucci to being the first model with Down syndrome to appear on the cover of Vogue. "Ellie can't wait to get started on the show and show people what she can do." The source went on to explain that having Ellie on the show is something that the BBC is "incredibly proud of", as they love to break stigmas. "Ellie is a fantastic signing and they think she could go all the way," the insider added. She joins the likes of EastEnders ' Balvinder Sopal, Dani Dyer, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Chris Robshaw for the upcoming series. Although CBeebies presenter George Webster appeared in the Christmas special back in 2022, Ellie is the first participant with Downs syndrome to appear on the main show. And Strictly is something the Essex-born star has always dreamed of. Ellie's parents had been told that she would never be able to talk or walk after being born with Down syndrome; now, she has defied the odds. "I am proving people wrong, and I am a role model for people like me," Ellie said. She added: "Doctors said I wouldn't talk, but now I never stop talking! You should always believe in yourself." And she's made it no secret what she thinks of Strictly. She said previously: "My absolute favourite thing in the world is dancing. "One day I would love to be on Strictly Come Dancing. I went to watch it being filmed a few weeks ago, but I didn't want to be in the audience, I wanted to be on the dancefloor." Meanwhile, the show has confirmed that there will be two new faces in the professional dancing line-up for this year. Joining the glitzy ballroom this autumn are Alexis Warr from the U.S. and Australia 's Julian Caillon, both set to make their debut on the hit BBC One series. Warr made history in 2022 as the first female ballroom and Latin dancer to win So You Think You Can Dance, earning the title of America's favourite dancer. On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Warr said: "I've admired Strictly for years, so joining this incredible family is such an honour. I can't wait to step into the ballroom, pour my heart into every moment, and share my love of dance with the UK." Caillon, who specialises in ballroom and Latin American, has appeared as a professional dancer for three seasons of Australia's version of Strictly Come Dancing, titled Australia's Dancing With The Stars. He said: "Joining the cast of Strictly really is a dream come true. I've watched it for years, especially cheering on all the amazing dancers I know and work with who've been part of it," adding: "I can't wait to get stuck in, have some fun, and be part of something special!"
