But they’ve all become part of the Holly Willoughby brand as she moves away from her TV darling image to reinvent herself as a Gwyneth Paltrow-inspired wellness guru. 6 TV favorite Holly Willoughby reinvents herself as a Gwyneth Paltrow-inspired wellness guruCredit: INSTAGRAM/HOLLY WILLOUGHBY 6 From crystals to sound baths, the This Morning presenter’s TV choices appeared to be changing dramatically under her new managementCredit: Instagram 6 Holly, 41, was snubbed in the presenting category, where nominees are voted for by viewers at the National Television AwardsCredit: Rex But has the former girl-next-door lost touch with her core fans as she misses out on a National Television Award nomination for the first time in five years? This morning Holly, 41, was snubbed in the presenting category, where nominees are voted for by viewers. Her co-star Alison Hammond was shortlisted. Last year Holly surprised fans with an image overhaul, revealing a side of herself that didn’t look like the down-to-earth and chirpy presenter viewers had come to love. She revealed she worked for wellness brand Wylde Moon, a website selling £65 candles and £495 earrings. In an Instagram post to launch the business he said: “By creating Wylde Moon for you, I filled a need within me. “I had lost a part of who I was, and this discovery led me here, to a whole new place of beauty and strength.” The brand, which lists the moon as one of its employees, has raised some eyebrows among its casual fans. One posted: “They are all lovely, especially the moon and star necklace. Too expensive for the average person to buy. Another wrote: “Too expensive Holly . . . sorry we don’t have your money!” An insider said: “Holly has made no secret of being inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow. The only problem is that it’s a little too hippy for the viewers who watch it every day. “These are difficult times. All that airy-fairy stuff just doesn’t sit well with ordinary people. The great thing about Holly was that she could wear designer brands and look a million bucks while laughing.” However, it’s clear Holly wants to appeal to a slightly more affluent clientele who buy brands such as Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop website, which sells a 50ml pot of face cream for $98, around £83. Holly’s release also coincided with the publication of her memoir Reflections and the launch of her podcast By The Light Of The Moon. 6 In her memoir, she wrote how she embraced sound baths as expressed by reality star Kendall Jenner. 6 Her girly style landed her deals with M&S and Garnier Nutrisse hair colorCredit: M&S 6 Holly began posting designer outfits to her eight million followers, including £245 dresses from Rixo and £175 shirts from Kate SpadeCredit: hollywilloughby/instagram When interviewed by Gwyneth, she opened up about how the Goop boss changed her career, telling her: “I’ve definitely been inspired by you and your work, without a doubt. “The biggest thing for me was seeing you switch talents and step outside of something that was already very successful to do something that obviously came from real heart and real drive. “Knowing that it was an option and that it was a possibility was definitely a real thing for me when I started Wylde Moon, so thank you.” Gwyneth replied: “Women should follow their wildest dreams.” While some fans may not be on board with the latest Holly, PR guru Ed Hopkins believes her new image could be part of a master plan to propel her to A-list America. The great thing about Holly was that she could wear designer brands and look a million bucks while laughing. Knowledgeable He said: “Holly is taking a big risk by tapping into a completely different demographic, but the way she portrays herself is very likable. “It’s a wise move and could propel her to next-level stardom. She’s still huge in the UK, but this could make her famous overseas too. America would love someone like her.” This new, edgy Holly was a big departure from the debutant presenter who got her big break on ITV children’s Ministry Of Mayhem in 2004 and went on to land some of ITV’s biggest hosting jobs. After a stint on The Xtra Factor in 2008, he joined the risque panel show Celebrity Juice and then in 2009 joined Phillip Schofield on the This Morning sofa. Their presenting partnership extended to Dancing On Ice. In 2017, Holly earned her first National Television Award nomination for presenting, and by the following year she had hit her stride, regularly topping best-dressed lists and posting her high street style for fans to copy. Her outfits, often from Zara, Warehouse and Oasis, paired with high-tech accessories, were an instant hit with the predominantly female TV audience of the day. Her girlish style led to deals with M&S and Garnier Nutrisse hair color and during the 2020 lockdown she proved she practiced what she preached by dyeing her dark roots with the beauty brand on Instagram. That same year, Holly left mega-management agency YMU, which looked after both her and Phillip, and set up her own all-female team, Roxy Management, to handle her media affairs. He then fought an 18-month court battle with YMU, which sought to claim a 15 per cent share of future profits from the ITV contract. Holly wrote: “I made this decision just for my career, but I actually found it helped pull me back into my body. I didn’t realize that I had lost a part of myself when I handed the responsibility over to someone else, but now I’m getting it back.” I made this decision just for my career, but I actually found that it helped pull me back into my body. Holly Willoughby After the lawsuit was settled, a new, bolder Holly emerged. Instead of her usual high street fashion, she started posting designer clothes to her eight million followers, with £60 dresses from Zara being replaced by £245 ones from Rixo and £175 dresses from Kate Spade. Her TV options appeared to change radically under her new management, branching out from her usual ITV shows and her partnership with Phillip. She even quit the popular channel Celebrity Juice, telling host Leigh Francis, aka Keith Lemon, that she wanted to spend more time with her husband of 15 years, TV producer Dan Baldwin, and their children Harry, 13, Belle, 11 and Chester, seven. He appeared on BBC One this year, presenting Wim Hof’s Freeze The Fear, alongside Lee Mack. The show, produced by her husband Dan, followed celebrities as they faced sub-zero challenges. She then went to Channel 4 to present The Games with Freddie Flintoff — and fans approved of her chemistry with the former cricketer. One wrote: “Holly Willoughby and Freddie Flintoff are getting on so well, bye Phil.” Another said: “He felt Freddie actually brought out the best in Holly. Great pairing.” Which seems unlikely for the down-to-earth Lancashire lad, given Holly’s growing interest in alternative therapies. In her memoir, she wrote how she embraced sound baths — therapy sessions in which gongs or bowls are struck — as voiced by reality star Kendall Jenner.
Small deception
And Holly said she used crystals to help her son Chester ward off nightmares. She told This Morning viewers: “Chester sleeps with some green fluorite and for the last four nights he’s been disappearing into the back of his bed and he’s been having nightmares for the last four nights. So I pulled the bed and got it. He slept well last night.” Characteristically, Holly explained that she discovered alternative therapies when she filled in for Ant McPartlin on I’m A Celebrity in 2018. On her return to London, she said she began seeing a therapist who helped her realize she was feeling disconnected from reality. She added that until she sought help she was “addicted” to feeling disconnected from her busy life. She said in her memoirs: “I was not present in my life. Something was missing. There were times when I felt a bit like a spectator of my own life. “I wasn’t sad, I wasn’t depressed, it was just a feeling of being a little bit off. Although I wasn’t unhappy, I felt like I was missing something.” He also said how he could escape reality when presenting This Morning. He added: “Sometimes when we say goodbye at the end of the show, it’s like coming back down to earth as I realize I still have to deal with everything that’s going on in my life away from the studio.” A celebrity publicist said of Holly’s recent change of direction: “She will always have the likability factor and she can use it again whenever she wants. It’s brave and bold that she’s branched out, but it’s important that she remembers her fan base.” But it seems, as Holly reflects on her life, she has higher aspirations than a few TV awards — and she’s not fazed at all. He said, “If it doesn’t match your thoughts and expectations of me, then there’s nothing I can do about it.”
