Holl of the wild
Willoughby returns to jungle for Bear’s Netflix celeb show
HOLLY Willoughby has been confirmed as host of a Netflix show in which celebrities attempt to beat survival expert Bear Grylls.
She will travel to the jungle of Central America for The I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here-style programme currently called Bear Hunt.
Due to air next year, it will mark the mum of three’s first foray out of mainstream TV and on to a streamer, following her departure from ITV’s This Morning at the end of last year.
The “action-packed competition” will drop a group of stars into the jungle as “prey for one of the world’s most fearsome predators – Bear Grylls”. Made by the survival expert’s own production company The Natural Studios, along with two co-producers, Bear, 49, will set about testing their will to survive.
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Those who fail to impress will have to face the “Bear hunt” in which he tracks them down and if he captures them, they are eliminated.
Holly, 43, is no stranger to jungle life, having stepped in for Ant McPartlin on I’m A Celebrity in 2018 after his drinkdriving conviction and time in rehab.
Alongside Declan Donnelly, she proved a big hit with viewers with the biggest audience in five years tuning in for the series launch that year.
At the time Donnelly said: “The more eagle-eyed among you will have already noticed a big change to the show. Yes, one of the most gorgeous presenters on British television has been joined by Holly Willoughby.”
Holly, 42, hosts Dancing on Ice on ITV, but viewers have dwindled – as Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean hang up their skates – with next year’s run likely to be the last. And her BBC series Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof and Take Off, which she fronted with Bradley Walsh, each ran for just one series.
After leaving This Morning in October, following kidnap and death threats towards her and her family, Holly was said to have wanted to take a break as she decided which projects to go for.