Holly Willoughby is back (Credits: James Veysey/Shutterstock)
Holly Willoughby will be making her TV comeback on Dancing On Ice in just a few days, and her performance will be ‘critical,’ says an expert.
Many viewers will be glad to see the British star back at the helm of the ‘greatest show on ice’ after she’s spent three months away from the small screen.
Her absence comes after she walked away from This Morning after 14 years in October. Following an alleged plot to kidnap and murder, she released a statement that said it was a ‘difficult goodbye’ but she had to ‘make this decision for me and family’.
Months before her exit, long-standing co-host Phillip Schofield, whom she also worked with on Dancing On Ice, left after admitting to an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a junior member of staff.
The 42-year-old has taken time to herself, but now she’s ready to return to our living rooms and we’re ready to welcome her!
However, rather than rest on her laurels, it’s important for Holly to graft, says PR, brand and culture expert Lynn Carratt, so she can ‘reconnect’ with the audience.
Holly will return with new co-host Stephen Mulhern (Picture: ITV)
‘This series of Dancing on Ice is critical for Holly because she needs to reconnect with the viewers.
‘Rightly or wrongly, she lost some credibility with viewers after the Schofield scandal, and the speech she made when she returned to This Morning went down like a lead balloon with the audience,’ shared Lynn.
On her first episode back to This Morning after Schofield’s admissions, she gave an emotional monologue to the camera, which began with: ‘Right, deep breath. Firstly, are you ok? I hope so.’
‘Holly’s speech went down like a lead balloon’ (Picture: ITV)
The words were ridiculed by some celebrities and viewers alike, so Lynne thinks this time she should avoid mentioning the past on Dancing On Ice and focus on ‘getting back into the groove’.
‘I’m sure she will be scared about putting herself out there again to be judged, but she will have asked those closest to her for advice,’ said Lynne but added: ‘She loves hosting Dancing On Ice, and it’s a relatively short work commitment for her, so it’s an excellent show to dip her toe back into the water.’ Frozen water…
Of course, Holly has Stephen Mulhern, 46, by her side after he replaced Scofield, 61, which should also make things a little easier due to their special bond – the pair have been friends for 20 years and started on children’s TV show Holly & Stephen’s Saturday Showdown together.
Holly and Stephen have known each other for a long time (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)
Despite the ‘increased nerves’ that came from the prolonged break, Lynne believes time away is just what Holly needed to ‘give people time to miss her,’ and to ‘rest and rejuvenate’ but it’s ‘vital’ she now returns for the sake of her career.
‘It is vital for Holly’s brand deals and businesses for her to be on TV,’ noted Lynne.
Holly works with incredible brands including M&S and L’Oréal and has her own lifestyle company – Wylde Moon.
‘She needs to stay relevant and be in the public eye and therefore, when Dancing on Ice finishes, Holly needs to be moving on to the next TV project and continue building on her career.’
Lynne believes Holly should move over to streaming services (Picture: Matt Frost/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Lynne already has an idea about what Holly should do next, and it’s different to previous projects.
‘Now is the time to move forward for her, and there are many production companies who want her for their shows as Holly is well-liked by TV executives because she is good at her job.
‘Holly should move over to streaming services like Netflix, Disney or Amazon to front documentaries or reality shows, which will propel her to bigger and international audiences,’ stated Lynne.
This could very well come true as there are reports Holly is being lined up for a new jungle-based Netflix programme, which has similarities to I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
Lynn is Head of Talent at Press Box PR.
Dancing On Ice is set to launch on Sunday at 6.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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Holly returns to TV on Sunday.