Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern look a tad different in a resurfaced snap from the early days of their careers.
The two TV favourites are set to front the new series of ITV’s Dancing On Ice this month. The news was confirmed last week, after months of speculation that Holly, 42 would not be returning, following her exit from This Morning and Phillip Schofield’s axe from ITV.
However, fans of the glitzy dancing show were left delighted when it was revealed that Holly would be back. What’s more, Stephen was then confirmed to be stepping in as co-host.
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And it turns out Holly and Stephen, 46 are not strangers to working together and have a friendship that spans nearly two decades. Holly and the Deal Or No Deal star began their on-screen careers with children’s television.
(Image: ITV)
From January 2004 until July 2006, the duo hosted CITV’s Ministry Of Mayhem. And in a throwback snap by ITV in 2018, Holly and Stephen looked almost unrecognisable.
In the picture, the duo looked youthful as she posed backstage at an A-list swanky do. The snap was taken in 2005, which would have made Holly 24 years old and Stephen 28.
The official ITV account captioned the post: “Fresh faced and almost unrecognisable – what a pair of mischief makers @stephenmulhern @hollywills in their Ministry of Mayhem days!”
(Image: ITV)
Stephen recently looked back fondly on that time. He said: “I absolutely loved it with Holly. We had a great time. And the response on social media was amazing. It would be great to work with Holly again.”
Katie Rawcliffe, head of entertainment commissioning at ITV, said of the new Dancing On Ice pairing: “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.”
Holly temporarily stood down from her presenting duties in October. It followed her former pal and co-host Phillip Schofield’s own departure five months previously, after he admitted to having an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male runner from This Morning.
(Image: WireImage)
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Phillip confirmed he would no longer work with ITV, so Stephen Mulhern stepped in for the show. However doubts whether Holly would join him remained until she finally agreed to a comeback in December.
Delighted with the news, ITV are reportedly be keen to ensure the mother-of-three feels “completely secure” in the studio. It has also been claimed that Holly’s new contract is a rolling one, allowing the ability to step away from the show after one series should she wish.
A source told the Sun: “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. Everyone is absolutely delighted Holly has decided to return — she’s such an integral and popular part of Dancing On Ice. Holly feels happy and energised and new co-host Stephen is thrilled she’s on board. He’s sent a supportive message already.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
