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Holly Willoughby has been ITV‘s highest profile female presenter for more than a decade.
She hosted the network’s flagship daytime show This Morning, alongside some their most popular entertainment programmes.
But the Mail can reveal that she has dashed ITV’s hopes that she would be their Saturday night star after she turned down a lucrative deal to front a new series of the classic game show You Bet!
ITV sources say that she is ‘busy with other commitments’, which meant she was unable to return to the programme she hosted a two part special last year alongside Stephen Mulhern.
While it is not yet known what her other role is, Ms Willoughby, 44, recently found global fame on Netflix‘s Celebrity Bear Hunt – her first big role away from ITV.
She impressed bosses at the streaming giant so much that insiders there say they are ‘very keen’ to work with her more on shows which would be screened across the world.
Holly Willoughby has dashed ITV bosses’ hopes of being their Saturday night star after she turned down a lucrative deal to front a new series of the classic game show You Bet!
The presenter impressed bosses at Netflix so much that insiders there say they are ‘very keen’ to work with her more on shows, after she hosted Celebrity Bear Hunt for the streaming giant
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.’
Mr Mulhern, 47, who hosts Dancing on Ice with Ms Willoughby, is still taking part so now the search is on for a sidekick for him.
Last night, Ms Willoughby hosted what may have been her last ever Dancing on Ice amid rumours it could be axed amid declining viewership.
ITV sources say that she is ‘busy with other commitments’, which meant she was unable to return to the programme she hosted a two part special last year alongside Stephen Mulhern
Last night, Ms Willoughby hosted what may have been her last ever Dancing on Ice amid rumours it could be axed amid declining viewership
Insiders at the network say that no decision has been made but it is ‘not a dead cert’ to return as they acknowledge that its popularity has waned.
That is now the last commitment Ms Willoughby has with the broadcaster but sources there say they ‘would love to work with her as much as they can.’
Ms Willoughby stood in for Ant McPartlin on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! back in 2018 and also hosted The Xtra Factor and a reboot of Surprise, Surprise.
She quit This Morning in October 2023 after 14 years when she learned of a terrifying plot to kidnap, rape and murder her by former security guard Gavin Plumb.
He was later found guilty on all three charges and was sentenced to life in prison, but must serve at least 15 years in custody.
An ITV spokesman said: ‘Unfortunately Holly couldn’t commit to the dates to host the new series of You Bet!, but will hopefully appear as a guest panellist on one of the shows in the new series.’
