Holly Willoughby, 45, has revealed she experienced "jealousy" upon hearing of Katherine Ryan's pregnancy in her 40s, admitting she wishes she had pursued having another child.
In the second episode of her YouTube series, "Together," Willoughby spoke candidly about her personal life with guest and friend Katherine Ryan. "When I heard you were pregnant and having another one, I was like, ‘Maybe I should, maybe I should,’" Willoughby told the comedian when asked if she would want to get pregnant again. She added, "I was so jealous that you were doing it because I was like, ‘I should have done it.’"
Willoughby, already a mother to Harry, 17, Belle, 15, and Chester, 11, expressed that she feels the opportunity to have another child has now passed. Ryan, 43, gave birth to her daughter Holland in October of the previous year and has four other children.
The conversation, which took place over a cheese board and wine, also touched upon the challenges of parenting teenagers and the pressures of living in the public eye. Willoughby described the experience of her children growing into their teenage years as "really, really difficult," acknowledging that they are developing their own lives separate from her.
Willoughby also discussed her struggles with expressing strong opinions, a stark contrast to her previous role on "This Morning." She attributed this to a fear of backlash, stating, "I'm so terrified to have an opinion on anything, I definitely don't like upsetting anybody." She reflected on the nature of her work, where seeing "both sides of anything" can lead to not forming a definitive opinion, and the significant consequences of making a mistake in public discourse. Referring to cancel culture, she described it as a "horrendous game of pass the parcel."
Her re-emergence into the public sphere follows her departure from "This Morning" in October 2023, after it was revealed she was the target of a kidnapping plot. This also occurred five months after her co-host Phillip Schofield admitted to an affair with a younger colleague.
The first episode of "Together" garnered 41,000 views on its launch day, surpassing Richard Osman's "The Rest is Entertainment" show, which had 29,000 views on the same day. Willoughby acknowledged that her public image has been tested, recalling an incident in 2013 where she was photographed drinking and smoking, which caused trouble with her own mother.