Holly Willoughby will address her three month absence as the ITV star prepares to make her return, reports have claimed.
Willoughby, 42, will host ITV’s Dancing On Ice show alongside Stephen Mulhern.
The series returns to TV screens on January 14, meaning Willoughby will return around 90 days after an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her.
Willoughby is expected to thank her fans for their support in hopes to start 2024 in a positive way.
Holly Willoughby attends the National Television Awards 2023
GETTY
A TV insider told The Sun: “Holly is really looking forward to putting 2023 behind her and focusing on a fresh, positive start to a new year.”
They added: “She is considering a very brief comment at the top of the opening show, along the lines of, ‘It’s good to be back,’ or ‘Thanks for your support,’ drawing a firm line under her hiatus and marking the beginning of a new optimistic term.”
Bosses at Dancing On Ice have reportedly handed Willoughby heightened security and want to make sure she feels completely “secure” on the show.
It is also understood that Willoughby has signed a one-year rolling contract with an option to step back next year in case she wants a longer hiatus.
A source said: “Bosses have been working hard to ensure she feels completely secure, trying not to put any pressure on all while making sure she knows they are ready to support her every step of the way.”
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Holly Willoughby’s outfit
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Willoughby signed up to her ITV return over Christmas and is “excited” to return to screens.
She is reportedly particularly delighted about working alongside 46-year-old Stephen Mulhern.
Katie Rawcliffe, head of entertainment commissioning at ITV, said: “Holly and Stephen are two of our best loved presenters, so reuniting them 20 years after they first appeared on screen together to host Dancing On Ice marks the start of an exciting year for the show.”
ITV also shared a post to Instagram which read: “Dancing On Ice news 20 years since they first worked together, Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern join forces for the greatest show on ice.”
Mulhern, who already hosts Catchphrase and Deal Or No Deal, is a close friend of Willoughby and agreed to step into Schofield’s shoes last week.
Holly Willoughby
PA
Schofield, 61, was sacked by ITV after he admitted to lying about a romantic relationship he had with a former younger colleague.
Willoughby kept a low-profile after stepping back from ITV’s flagship daytime programme This Morning.
The mother-of-three, who originally joined the show in 2009, released a statement saying she was leaving the show “for the sake of her family”.
Gavin Plumb, 36, pleaded not guilty to charges of soliciting murder and incitement to commit kidnap the former This Morning host.
Plumb, from Harlow in Essex, who was not present at his hearing in Chelmsford Crown Court, was refused a bail application and has a trial date fixed for June 24 next year.
