Yahoo News Why Holly Willoughby's career change at Netflix is the perfect move
The former This Morning presenter has been announced to host a new celebrity reality series with Bear Grylls.
Holly Willoughby's next big career move since leaving This Morning has been unveiled - she's about to grab a slice of Netflix's success with a new reality show.
The former ITV daytime star will join survival expert Bear Grylls for new celebrity contest Bear Hunt, which is sure to get plenty of attention when it launches in 2025.
It marks a change of direction for Willoughby, who made her name in Saturday morning TV and was the face of This Morning for 14 years, but could be the perfect next step in her evolving career.
Netflix series
Willoughby fans have been keen to hear news of the TV star's next project since she quit her long-running role on This Morning in October.
Her co-star and previously close friend Phillip Schofield had left in May when details of his affair with a much younger male colleague emerged, but Willoughby's departure came after an alleged kidnap plot against her was uncovered.
Although Willoughby did return to ITV to host Dancing On Ice as usual, it seemed she was biding her time for the right opportunity to come up - and now, Netflix have announced that she and Bear Grylls will front new celebrity survival series Bear Hunt.
The Netflix description reads: "Bear believes there’s an action hero inside us all – even the celebs – but how strong is their will to survive? As Bear puts them through their paces, those who fail to impress will face the dreaded ‘Bear Hunt’ – a brutal game of cat and mouse where they’ll be hunted down by Bear himself and, if captured, eliminated from the show."
Reality TV experience
Bear Hunt might be a change of pace from Willoughby's previous day job, but she's uniquely well qualified for the show thanks to her reality TV experience.
In 2018, she helped out pals Ant and Dec on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! by co-hosting the series with Dec while Ant took a break from TV and attended rehab.
Viewers loved Willoughby's squeamishness over creepy crawlies and her natural talent for connecting with the contestants shone through. Bear Hunt is already drawing obvious comparisons with I'm A Celeb, but that isn't the only reality show she has fronted.
Watch: Holly struggles to watch Dreaded Deliveries eating trial
Willoughby is well known for co-hosting Dancing On Ice, which has just finished its 2024 series, and last year she and Lee Mack presented Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof which saw a group of celebrities take on some icy challenges while sharing their tough personal stories. She also hosted celebrity sports contest The Games.
So when it comes to dealing with celebrity challenge shows, Willoughby has had plenty of practice at getting the best out of famous contestants.
Husband Dan Baldwin's advice
Plus, Willoughby always can ask for any advice from her producer husband Dan Baldwin who has plenty of experience in the industry. She previously hailed her husband's advice as "the best" of all the people she knows.
"He knows me better than anyone, he’s my absolute support," she previously revealed on Loose Women last year.
"He gives the best advice of anybody, he’s got that strength and good moral fibre, so I always check and run everything past him."
The happy couple have been married since 2007 and they raise three children together - Harry James Baldwin, Belle Baldwin, Chester William Baldwin.
Career changing post This Morning
When mum-of-three Willoughby quit This Morning, she ended her statement: "Sadly, however, I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family."
Although many speculated that she was referring to the alleged kidnap plot, Willoughby would always take school holidays off the ITV show and during term time, the huge commitment of fronting the show must have eaten into her family life.
Taking on a limited run filming show such as Netflix should cut down on her work commitments compared to her daytime TV days, which may well be a temptation for the star.
