Amid rumours that Phillip Schofield is planning a TV return, insiders say Holly Willoughby won’t let him steal her limelight

She was once TV’s golden girl, but Holly Willoughby has had an extremely tough time over the past two years.

Things first became rocky in May 2023, when her friendship with Phillip Schofield broke down following ‘an unwise but not illegal affair’ with a younger male colleague – leading him to resign from This Morning. Five months later, Holly also left the ITV show after a kidnap and murder plot against her came to light. And, since then, her career has been left looking uncertain.

©(Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Now, sources tell Closer that Holly, 44, is preparing to make her big on-screen comeback. However, she’s facing a new crisis, as it’s believed Phil is also plotting his return – and she’s eager to beat him to it.

‘There’s a lot of speculation that Phil is planning a big comeback of his own soon and that’s why Holly wants to make her move first,’ an insider reveals. ‘If she waits and comes back after him, people are likely to suggest she’s simply reacting to that. Holly wants to be seen and regarded as a presenter in her own right.’

After stepping away from the limelight, Phil, 63 – who presented This Morning alongside Holly for over 13 years – returned to TV back in September for his Channel 5 show, Cast Away, in which he appeared to make a string of digs at Holly. In one scene, viewers thought he mocked her presenting style as he seemingly copied her infamous, ‘Are you OK?’ moment. And while he didn’t mention anyone by name, he also reflected on being chucked ‘under the bus’.

Phil appeared to make digs at Holly on TV show Cast Away ©Channel 5

So it’s no surprise that Holly is worried about what else Phil could say. ‘She doesn’t want Phil to get away with coming back with a show that might eclipse her return,’ our source adds. ‘Her time working with Phil is in the past and she now wants to focus on carving out an exciting new future for her and her family.’

Now, Holly is leaning on a different celeb pal – Abbey Clancy. Insiders say that Holly – who shared a cosy snap with Abbey, 39, on Instagram last week – has grown even closer to the model in recent times, and has been turning to her for help.

‘Holly adores Abbey and hugely admires the way she’s rebranded herself in the past few years,’ the source says. ‘She’s enjoyed spending time with her over the summer, and they’ve become really close friends over the past year or two. Abbey is now one of her best mates, and someone she can lean on.’

The star is said to admire how Abbey rebranded herself ©Getty Images

Holly and Abbey celebrated the New Year together, and have previously enjoyed many boozy lunches. They’ve even holidayed together with their husbands. Dan Baldwin and Peter Crouch, and previously shared photos of them at Glastonbury in 2023.

Abbey, 39, and former footballer Pete, 44, have their own podcast, The Therapy Crouch, which is popular with fans. Not only has it given listeners an insight into their marriage, but it’s also inspired Holly to consider working with her TV producer hubby Dan, 49.

©Getty Images

Our insider continues, ‘Holly’s friendship with Abbey has given her an insight into how much fun she and Pete have working together, and Holly thinks that is something she and Dan would also enjoy. Holly and Dan have worked on lots of projects together over the years, but Dan has always been a producer or operating away from the camera. He’s never been in the limelight. But she’s excited about the idea of working on something they can both appear in, something like a podcast or a fly-on-the-wall show.’

It comes as Holly – who is mum to Harry, 16, Belle, 14, and Chester, 11 – has found herself at a loose end for the first time in 21 years after Dancing on Ice was axed earlier this year. She’s also stepped back from her role presenting game show You Bet! alongside Stephen Mulhern, while Celebrity Bear Hunt – which she hosted alongside Bear Grylls on Netflix – was axed after just one series.

Phil and Holly on This Morning in 2023 ©Photo by Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

On top of that, it was reported earlier this month that the media company that she co-owns with her husband Dan, Roxy Media, has been given a deadline of 12 weeks to pay up a sum of £377,000 to avoid being wound up over a tax debt.

Without a show to currently work on, our sources adds, ‘Holly is now really keen to accelerate her TV comeback. Seeing Dancing on Ice end and leaving This Morning were both difficult moments. She misses life in and around TV and is looking forward to getting back to what she loves doing most.’