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Home / Celebrities / Holly Willoughby 'is the favourite to front a huge BBC show'
Holly Willoughby 'is the favourite to front a huge BBC show'
3rd November 2023

Holly Willoughby ‘is the favourite to front a huge BBC show alongside Bradley Walsh’ after This Morning exit

Holly Willoughby is reportedly the favourite choice to front the rebooted Gladiators as insiders claim BBC bosses are eyeing her up as the new Ulrika Jonsson.

The TV presenter, 42, who left her role on This Morning last month, will apparently join forces with Bradley Walsh and his son Barney on the show.

The first series of the reboot was filmed this year with the duo at the helm and will air in January, more than 30 years after the 1990s version aired on ITV. 

The new format would see Holly join the current hosts for the second series of the iconic show, which would be filmed over next summer.

A source told The Sun: ‘The BBC love Brad and Barney, but it’s also been proved Brad and Holly have an amazing dynamic as they featured together on the Beeb show Take Off.

New job? Holly Willoughby is reportedly the favourite choice to front the rebooted Gladiators as insiders claim BBC bosses are eyeing her up as the new Ulrika Jonsson

Gladiators: The first series of the reboot was filmed this year with the duo at the helm and will air in January, more than 30 years after the 1990s version aired on ITV

Double act: The TV presenter, 42, who left her role on This Morning last month, will apparently join forces with Bradley Walsh and his son Barney on the show

‘Since Holly’s departure from This Morning, lots of channels and broadcasters have been thinking about what she could bring to their shows.

‘And as she’s such a big star, she’s a natural fit for a huge entertainment show, which the reboot of Gladiators unquestionably is.’

The source added that BBC bosses will let the first series air before commencing talk with Holly’s people.’ MailOnline have contacted representatives for comment.

Last month it was reported that BBC chiefs look set to swoop on Holly in a bid to tempt her over to the broadcaster while her future at ITV remains in doubt.

Bosses at the corporation have been keen to land the presenter for some time and they can now make their move with her current projects up in the air.

Holly left her role at This Morning after 14 years in October, while her presenting job on Dancing on Ice is yet to be decided.

Executives at the BBC were said to be discussing potential ways to entice the presenter over to them as the face of some of their biggest shows, sources say.

Holly has been on the BBC’s radar for some time and attended last year’s Variety Showbusiness Awards as their guest of honour alongside chief content officer Charlotte Moore.

Original: Ulrika Jonsson — host of the original 1990s version on ITV

Moving in: Last month it was reported that BBC chiefs look set to swoop on Holly in a bid to tempt her over to the broadcaster while her future at ITV remains in doubt 

Connections: Her TV producer husband Dan Baldwin already has strong ties to the corporation with his company Hungry Bear producing the forthcoming Gladiators revival,

Her family-friendly image and bubbly personality is seen by the BBC as the perfect combination to be the face of entertainment at the broadcaster.

Her TV producer husband Dan Baldwin already has strong ties to the corporation with his company Hungry Bear producing the forthcoming Gladiators revival.

He is also behind the successful Michael McIntyre’s Big Show which has aired on the channel since 2015 and The Wheel, which launched in 2020.

The tentative move to woo Holly was made last year in the wake of the public outrage over ‘queue-gate’ – which saw her and Philip Schofield avoid waiting in line with the rest of the public to see late Queen Elizabeth II lying in state.

Less than a year on, things have changed dramatically for the star, who has now quit the long-running daytime show to focus on her family.

She had been given a significant pay rise to stay at on the show in the wake of the scandal when Phil quit in May after admitting to lying about his relationship with a younger colleague.

The presenter took to Instagram to confirm she ‘will not be returning’ to the show on Tuesday 

ITV bosses had been set to relaunch This Morning in January with Holly hosting alongside a new permanent presenting partner, with Good Morning Britain’s Ben Shephard expected to be announced in the role.

The show has now been thrown into chaos with bosses on the hunt for a brand new presenting pair to host. 

Its rota of presenters including Alison Hammond, Craig Doyle and Josie Gibson are currently holding the fort.

Holly left viewers and ITV bosses in shock when she announced her departure from the show with immediate effect.

The channel is still in the dark as to whether she will present Dancing on Ice in January as planned, with just weeks to go until promotional trailers featuring the hosts, judges and contestants are due to air.

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