‘I needed that space away’: Holly Willoughby wanted time out after distressing kidnap plot but is now back and doesn’t ‘fear what people think’
The presenter says she knows what 'real fear is' and now has a whole new perspective
After going through a challenging time in her work and personal life, Holly Willoughby needed to take some time out to reset.
She was last seen on screen in early 2025 hosting Celebrity Bear Hunt on Netflix and the final series of ITV's Dancing on Ice. Now the star is set to make her comeback.
From July 28, Holly will be hosting Holly Willoughby Together, a lifestyle series featuring real stories, honest conversation and practical advice.
Viewers can also expect to find celebrity guests, and discussions around fashion, beauty and health. The show will air on YouTube and other digital platforms, and there will be two episodes landing per week.
Holly Willoughby Together comes after a period of careful reflection for the star, who "needed that space away" after it emerged just after she left This Morning nearly three years ago that she'd been the target of a kidnap plot.
News came out that former security guard Gavin Plum had been forming a plan to kidnap, rape and murder Holly - he has since been sentenced to life imprisonment.
"I needed to just immerse myself in my kids and my friends and family. I needed that space in order to know what I actually wanted to do next," the presenter tells Grazia of the time she took away from the spotlight.
Offering more insight into the harrowing incident, Holly shares that at the time, she'd entered her 40s and thought she had everything "worked out."
"Everybody knows what happened and it was difficult," she says, adding, "It did set me back and made me realise, “Right, well of course you haven’t got everything figured out. Of course life is going to keep throwing challenges at you.'"
The presenter continues, "When something like that happens, suddenly everything else gets put into perspective and you know what? I don’t fear what people think because I know what real fear feels like."
Her experience led to the star being able to throw out any worries she had about bringing her lifestyle show to audiences.
"If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But you have to have a go," she says, adding wisely, "What’s the other option? Just sitting scared and never doing a thing again?"
Holly also feels cushioned by the online, digital nature of her series. "On this new platform, people find you and come to you because they’re interested in you," she says, explaining that means she isn't "forced" on people not interested in tuning in.
"I actually feel a little bit safer," she says of doing it this way, because it feels like "less pressure" than airing the series through regular channels.
The presenter's period of growth and reflection also brings a sense of not being afraid to use her voice or "take up space" as a woman.
The team behind Holly Willoughby Together are predominantly female, and when it comes to being a woman in her industry she shares, "I’m not afraid to use my voice any more. When you’re growing up, you’re a bit nervous of the space you take up in the world and I don’t feel like that now."
Holly is now ready to be back in front of the cameras, needing to be sure she felt prepared for the moment.
Looking forward to meeting her audience once again, she concludes, "I’m ready to open the door, the windows, take the roof off, and go, 'Right, come on in.'"
