HOLLY | Out in the cold?
Is Holly Willoughby and Davina McCall’s bond now being tested?
Just months after the former This Morning star launched her YouTube lifestyle series, Together, Davina - who turns 59 this week - has landed a new, similar project, with insiders revealing that the move has left Holly reeling. Particularly as while she’s had to go out on her own, the Long Lost Family presenter’s show, Eat, Cook, Move with Davina, is being backed by ITV - Holly’s former employee.
Kicked while she's down
According to TV insiders the news has struck a nerve, with the star feeling that she’s been left out in the cold by the channel following her departure from the ITV daytime show in 2023.
‘Holly feels a bit kicked while she’s down. She took a massive leap going independent on YouTube, and now ITV is putting their full weight and budget behind Davina doing practically the exact same format.’ The source continued, ‘It feels like a direct slap in the face from her former bosses and the fact they have put Davina at the helm feels unfair to her.’
Fall from grace
Perhaps what Holly, 45, is most concerned about is that Davina’s 30 minute shows, which will be available to stream via ITVX, could prove more successful than her own venture.
Afterall, despite previously being one of telly’s biggest stars, in four months her YouTube channel has only amassed 27,000 subscribers while many of her videos have under 50,000 views - a far cry from the figures she drew in during her TV heyday.
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Jess is the Group Food Editor at Future PLC, working across brands in the woman’s lifestyle group, including Woman and Home, Woman’s Weekly, Woman, Woman’s Own, Chat, womanandhome.com and Goodto.com. Hailing from the Antibodies, Jess has a background in media and video production, with many years of experience working on tv and commercial video projects. After relocating to the UK, Jess studied at Leiths School of Food and Wine in London, graduating with a diploma in culinary arts before gaining a scholarship to study at the Ecole Nationale Superieure de Patisserie (ENSP) in France, where she learned the fine art of French patisserie.