The reason why Holly Willoughby missed Wednesday’s Dancing On Ice photoshoot has reportedly been revealed.
The event saw the cast for the upcoming series come together for official shots and interviews, but presenter Holly, 42, was not in attendance.
She will present the new series – starring Amber Davies and Miles Nazaire – alongside Stephen Mulhern, who takes over from Phillip Schofield as she makes her TV comeback after quitting This Morning last year.
Now The mirror reports that Holly skipped the photocall to focus on rehearsals with her new co-host.
Holly was at the shoot last year, but a source told the publication of this year’s event: ‘Holly doesn’t want any distractions at the moment so she wasn’t at the photo shoot.
The reason why Holly Willoughby missed Wednesday’s Dancing On Ice photoshoot has reportedly been revealed (seen with co-host Stephen Mulhern)
The event saw the cast of the upcoming series gather for official shots and interviews, but presenter Holly, 42, was not in attendance
“And for her, it’s more about rehearsals and getting the series off to a good start with a new co-host.
‘She puts all her energy into the show. Holly is a true professional and as always she will put her heart and soul into the series with Stephen.”
ITV has been contacted for comment.
MailOnline exclusively revealed that she will return to skating competition when the series kicks off on January 14.
Dressed in a stunning £3,200 red Vivienne Westwood dress, Holly beamed as she posed alongside her new TV sidekick Stephen as she prepared for her comeback in pictures released this week.
The Mail on Sunday revealed she met Mulhern, 46, for the photos two weeks ago – just days after making her first public outing since early October, when a former Essex security guard was accused of contacting a hitman in the US to kidnap and kill her.
It is understood she and Mulhern did not meet the show’s judges, including Olympic gold medalists Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, but instead had their own private shoot in a London studio.
For Holly, it was a return to normality in her life as she was joined by her stylist Danielle Whiteman, who carefully selected the £3,200 Vivienne Westwood dress.
A friend said: ‘It was quite an emotional day, it felt like the start of a routine after months of being at home and disconnected from the outside world.
She will co-host the new series with Stephen, who takes over from Phillip Schofield as she makes her TV comeback after quitting This Morning last year.
Stephen and Holly are pictured together on CITV in 2006, at the start of their presenting careers
‘But Holly has always loved wearing dreamy princess-style dresses on Dancing On Ice, it was always her time to really dress up.’
It was a doubly special reunion with Mulhern, ITV’s popular and long-serving star who hosted the reboot of Deal Or No Deal and Catchphrase, because he was by her side when she got her first big break on TV almost two decades ago.
The pair hosted ITV morning children’s shows Ministry Of Mayhem and Holly & Stephen’s Saturday Showdown in their 20s and have had an unbreakable bond ever since.
‘It really made a difference to Holly’s mentality to know that Stephen would be with her all the time. It really made her smile,” the friend added.
‘When you have so much history with someone, you feel safe. The past year has been a huge change for her.
‘For years Phil was with her and suddenly he was gone. To be working with Stephen again at such a poignant time in her career is special for Holly. Whether she returned to Dancing On Ice was a dilemma for Holly, some gentle persuasion from Stephen certainly helped seal the deal.’
This Sunday at 6.30pm she will co-host the programme, featuring Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards and former Brookside actress Claire Sweeney, from ITV’s studio at the old RAF base in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire.
Holly signed the deal over Christmas and is said to be ‘excited’ to get back to work on the show she co-hosted with her former boyfriend Phillip for many years.
It’s a moment she’s been mentally preparing for since deciding to step back into the spotlight over the Christmas period.
Friends of the mother-of-three say she will not comment on her alleged kidnap plot, but is using the return of Dancing On Ice as a chance to move on with her life and try to forget the past three months of devastation. at least until the suspect’s trial in June.
‘It’s unlikely she’ll even acknowledge her time off. It will be a case of ‘business as usual’,” says a source close to Holly.
Security in the studios has been so strict for years that there is little ITV can do to improve it. Network chiefs are therefore satisfied that it is ‘super safe’ for the star.
