Holly Willoughby

Holly Willoughby

Willoughby at the premiere of Happy Feet
Born Holly Marie Willoughby
(1981-02-10) 10 February 1981
Brighton, England
Residence London, England
Nationality British
Education Burgess Hill Girls
Alma mater The College of Richard Collyer
Occupation TV presenter
model
Years active 2000–present
Employer ITV
Television Dancing on Ice (2006–2011)
Holly & Fearne Go Dating (2007)
Streetmate (2007)
Celebrity Juice (2008—)
The Xtra Factor (2008–2009)
This Morning (2009—)
Text Santa (2011–2013, 2015)
The Voice UK (2012–2013)
Surprise Surprise (2012—)
Play to the Whistle (2015—)
Meet The Parents (2016—)
Spouse(s) Dan Baldwin (m. 2007)
Children 3
Website officialhollywilloughby.com

Holly Marie Willoughby (born 10 February 1981)[1][2] is an English television presenter and model, best known for her television work with ITV.

She has presented a number of television programmes alongside Phillip Schofield such as Dancing on Ice (2006–2011) and This Morning (2009–present). She is also a team captain on the ITV2 show Celebrity Juice (2008–present) and currently presents Surprise Surprise (2012–present), Play to the Whistle (2015–present) and Meet the Parents (2016–present), all for ITV.

Early life

The younger of two daughters of a sales manager of a double-glazing company and an air stewardess,[3] Willoughby was educated at the independent Burgess Hill Girls in the town of Burgess Hill in West Sussex. She went on to attend the College of Richard Collyer in Horsham.[4]

In 1995, at the age of 14, Willoughby was spotted by talent scouts at The Clothes Show Live exhibition. Storm Model Management signed her up.[5] She appeared in teen magazines for girls such as Mizz, Just Seventeen and More! From 1998, at the age of 17, Willoughby started modelling underwear for clients including Pretty Polly appearing in advertisements and posters.

Career

Children's presenting

Vashi Dominguez with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Scholfield on ITV's This Morning

In 2000, Willoughby won an audition for a show on CITV featuring S Club 7 called S Club TV.[6] In this show actors represented an alternative S Club.[7] She also appeared in a show called S Club 7: Artistic Differences playing a character called Zoe with the regular members of the band.[8] Willoughby worked as a receptionist for a while and then as a runner for the defunct shopping channel Auction World TV.

Willoughby also took on menial jobs and started an Open University course in psychotherapy. Then eventually, she found work as assistant manager during which time she persuaded a friend to make a showreel of her. This secured her an agent who then contacted the BBC.[6] Later in 2000, Willoughby presented a factual entertainment programme for children called Xchange and went on to host several other children's shows for CBBC: X-perimental and CBBC at the Fame Academy (CBBC's version of the BBC talent show Fame Academy).

Willoughby's first role as a children's entertainer came when she rejoined CITV in 2004 to co-present their entertainment show Ministry of Mayhem which aired on Saturday mornings. On this programme she met her future husband Dan Baldwin, one of the show's producers. In 2006, the show's title was changed to Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown in order to reflect the popularity of its co-presenters, Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern.

In 2005, Willoughby presented Feel the Fear, a children's entertainment programme in which the presenters are set unnerving challenges. She has also had a number of minor appearances on other children's programmes. She co-presented the final of the children's version of Stars in Their Eyes in 2004. Willoughby presented CD:UK for a short while in the spring of 2005, replacing Cat Deeley before Myleene Klass became the regular presenter.

2006–2008

In 2006 she was chosen to co-present with Phillip Schofield, the television show Dancing on Ice,[9] where celebrities are partnered with professional dancers to learn ice-dancing routines which are judged by a panel of experts and voted on by the public. Willoughby remained in the role until 2011 due to new commitments.[10][11] Willoughby has presented a number of other ITV programmes, including spin-off shows such as Celebrity Wrestling: Bring It On in 2005, Greased Lightnin' in 2007 and The Xtra Factor for two years in 2008 and 2009.

In 2007, she took over from Davina McCall as the presenter of Streetmate, a dating game show during its transition from Channel 4 to ITV2. Willoughby hosted the show for its final series. In the same year, Willoughby co-presented Holly & Fearne Go Dating with Fearne Cotton. The show saw the two hosts attempt to find dates for single people that they meet around the UK. Since 2008, Willoughby has appeared as a team captain on Celebrity Juice, presenting series 1-11 and 13 (taking a break in series 12 due to maternity leave)[12] hosted by Keith Lemon and stars fellow team captain Fearne Cotton.[13]

Willoughby (left) with This Morning co-hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.

2009–present

Willoughby has co-presented ITV's This Morning with Phillip Schofield since September 2009 replacing Fern Britton.[14] Willoughby and Schofield present the programme from Monday to Thursday mornings with Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes co-hosting on Fridays.

In 2011, Willoughby co-presented charity telethon Text Santa with Ant & Dec. She returned to co-host the show with Phillip Schofield in 2012, 2013 and 2015.[15]

On 24 March 2012, Willoughby began presenting The Voice UK with Reggie Yates. She decided to leave the show after the second series and was replaced by Emma Willis in 2014.[16]

In 2012, Willoughby began hosting a revived version of Surprise Surprise. A second series began airing on 15 September 2013, a third on 22 October 2014 and a fourth on 21 June 2015.

Since 2015, Willoughby has presented sports-based panel show Play to the Whistle on ITV. The first series aired for seven episodes beginning on 11 April 2015. A second series aired for six episodes, beginning in April 2016.[17]

In 2016, Willoughby presented primetime Saturday night dating show Meet the Parents for ITV. The show has been compared to Blind Date.[18] In October 2016, Willoughby admitted to taking part in a special Halloween episode of Celebrity Juice dressed as Harley Quinn while intoxicated.[19]

Awards

In 2006, Willoughby won a BAFTA in recognition of her abilities as a children's TV presenter.[20]

She has also appeared in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women poll every year since 2005, ranking at No. 51 in 2010, No. 74 in 2009 and No. 100 in 2008.[21]

On 30 March 2012, on National Cleavage Day, Willoughby was awarded the title "Best Celebrity Cleavage",[22][23] based on a poll of 1000 women who chose her as the first celebrity to get into the Wonderbra Cleavage Hall of Fame.[24]

Personal life

Willoughby is dyslexic.[25] Her sister, Kelly, also works in the television industry.[26]

On 4 August 2007, Willoughby married Dan Baldwin, a producer on Ministry of Mayhem. Their first child Harry James Baldwin was born on 11 May 2009[27] their second child Belle Baldwin on 14 April 2011.[28] On 14 March 2014, Willoughby announced via her official website that the couple were expecting their third child.[29] Chester William Baldwin was born on 29 September 2014.[30]

In 2008, Willoughby became a patron of the charity Together for Short Lives.[31]

Filmography

Television

Year Programme Channel Role
2000 S Club TV: Artistic Differences CITV Zoe
2002–2003 CBBC at the Fame Academy CBBC Presenter
2003 X-perimental
2004–2006 Ministry of Mayhem, A.K.A Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown ITV/CITV
2004 Stars in Their Eyes Kids ITV
2005 CD:UK
Celebrity Wrestling: Bring It On ITV2
2006–2011 Dancing on Ice ITV
2006 Lip Service ITV2
2007 The Westlife Show: Live ITV
Greased Lightnin' ITV2
Streetmate
Holly & Fearne Go Dating
2008–2009 The Xtra Factor
2008— Celebrity Juice Team captain
2009— This Morning ITV Presenter
2009 Cheryl Cole's Night In
2011–2013, 2015 Text Santa
2012–2013 The Voice UK BBC One
2012— Surprise Surprise ITV
2015— Play to the Whistle
2016— Meet the Parents

Film

Year Title Role
2012 Keith Lemon: The Film Herself

Guest appearances

Bibliography

School for Stars series

All books written with Kelly Willoughby

References

  1. ↑ Holly Willoughby Age. Bio27.com (10 February 1981). Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  2. ↑ Holly Willoughby – Biography. Talktalk.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  3. ↑ Holly Willoughby on 'that breast incident' Daily Mail, 19 October 2007
  4. ↑ "Willoughby to present This Morning". West Sussex County Times. 17 July 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  5. ↑ The 20 most powerful celebrity makers: 6. Sarah Doukas The Observer, 22 June 2008
  6. 1 2 Bio Holly Willoughby
  7. ↑ Off the Telly Reviews
  8. ↑ Holly Willoughby Internet Movie Database
  9. ↑ Holly Willoughby ITV: Dancing on Ice
  10. ↑ Good Golly, Miss Holly Orange Entertainment News, 29 January 2008
  11. ↑ Christine Bleakley replaces Holly Willoughby as 'Dancing on Ice' host – Dancing on Ice News – Reality TV. Digital Spy (18 November 2011). Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ "Holly 'Willoughbooby' lives up to her nickname when her dress slips down to reveal her bra as she leaves ITV party with Ant and Dec". Daily Mail. London. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "Willoughby new This Morning host". BBC News. 15 July 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  15. ↑ "Text Santa 2013 | presscentre". Itv.com. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  16. ↑ "Big Brother's Emma Willis announced as new presenter of 'The Voice' UK". Digital Spy. 14 September 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  17. ↑ http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/000001960/play_to_the_whistle_series_2/
  18. ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a794673/holly-willoughby-host-itv-dating-show-meet-the-parents/
  19. ↑ "Celebrity Juice: Holly Willoughby gets drunk dressed as Harley Quinn for Halloween special". OK. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  20. ↑ Children's Awards BAFTA
  21. ↑ Holly Willoughby. FHM. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  22. ↑ Deborah Arthurs (30 March 2012). "Simply the breast! Holly Willoughby's cleavage named nation's favourite in Wonderbra poll". Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  23. ↑ "Holly Willoughby encabeza el ranking del mejor escote" (in Spanish). El Nacional. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  24. ↑ "Holly Willoughby In Wonderbra's Cleavage Hall Of Fame". contactmusic.com. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  25. ↑ "Holly Willoughby tells Twitter followers who criticised spelling 'I'm dyslexic'". The Daily Telegraph. London. 6 November 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  26. ↑ Mum’s the word, Holly Daily Mail, 22 November 2008
  27. ↑ "Holly Willoughby Delivers Baby Boy". Daily Mail. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  28. ↑ Holly gives birth to baby girl. moremagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  29. ↑ "Surprise Surprise!! | Holly Willoughby". Officialhollywilloughby.com. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  30. ↑
  31. ↑

External links

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