Holly Willoughby is set to launch a new lifestyle show titled "Together" on YouTube on July 28, marking her return to public life after a period of absence.
Willoughby, 45, described her hiatus as a time when life "kicked her in the ass," particularly following a plot to kidnap, rape, and murder her. This incident led her to step away from her role on "This Morning" in 2023. The former security guard involved, Gavin Plumb, was later found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
"I started my forties very much thinking, 'I've worked my life out now.' Life sometimes really knows how to just kick you up the a*s and go 'Hang on a minute,'" Willoughby shared in an interview with Grazia Magazine.
She revealed that the alternative to returning to her career was "not doing a thing," a prospect she found unappealing. "If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But you have to have a go. What's the other option? Just sitting scared and never doing a thing again?"
Willoughby attributed her ability to navigate this challenging period to a small, supportive circle of loved ones. "My community has literally been quite teeny-weeny recently. It's been my mum, my dad, my sister, my niece, my kids, my husband, and my close close friends," she said.
"Together" will be a twice-weekly broadcast featuring five sections: Talk Together, Cook Together, Look Good Together, Better Together, and Hang Out Together. Willoughby is collaborating with her husband Dan Baldwin's production company, Hungry Bear, which has previously produced shows like "Gladiators" and "Michael McIntyre's Big Show."
Friends of the presenter noted a shift in the television landscape, with a greater consumption of content on digital platforms. This observation, coupled with Willoughby's desire to create her own project after 25 years in television, informed her decision to pursue a new digital venture.
Despite past opportunities, including offers from ITV, Willoughby chose to decline them to focus on her new project. "She has an idea and she knows if she doesn't do it now, she will never know if it will work," a friend stated. "Of course it is a risk, but she wanted a change. Not only will she be in front of a camera but she will be in charge behind it, too, and that is very exciting."