Holly’s fear of speaking
TV HOLLY REVEALS ‘MIX-UP’ TORTURE
HOLLY Willoughby has opened up about her struggle with dyslexia and how it left her feeling “stupid”.
The This Morning star said the learning difficulty which caused her to jumble up words left her crippled with self-doubt.
But now she is about to hit her 40s, Holly has been able to overcome her fears, regain “power” and deal with the condition and her insecurities in her quest to be the best presenter on telly.
The queen of daytime telly is determined to “find myself again” and “figure out who I am”. In a candid interview with Red magazine, Holly said: “I’ve struggled with dyslexia since I was young and it used to hold me back.
“At school, reading out loud absolutely terrified me because I’d get all the words wrong and I was convinced everybody thought I was stupid.
“It still happens now – most of the mistakes I make on This Morning are because of it, but it doesn’t do what it did to me back then because I don’t let it have power.”
Scripts
She added: “I now know that it’s all about how you package it in your head.” Mum-of-three Holly has previously revealed she did not know she had dyslexia until “a lot later” in life.
She has special coloured scripts to assist her on the popular ITV daytime show. Holly, who has been married to TV producer Dan Baldwin since 2007, also said she is embracing her 40s. She added: “I turn 40 next year and I have to say, I’m really looking forward to it. My 30s have been all about the kids – bringing them up, keeping all these balls afloat. But now they’re getting older, there’s a bit more space where I can start focusing on things that are happening for me. I see my 40s as a chance to find myself again and figure out who I am.”
● Read the full Holly Willoughby interview in the July issue of Red on sale today – available in all supermarkets and online at Magsdirect.
I was convinced everyone saw me as stupid
DYSLEXIA is a very common problem that rarely gets talked about.
This is despite around 20% of the population suffering from it in some degree.
In a social media world where everyone reads and writes all day long, it must be a nightmare to keep up if you’re dyslexic.
But brave Holly Willoughby will certainly help eradicate the stigma by opening up about her own struggles.
By speaking about it she will make other sufferers feel more at ease about their situation.
And she is also living proof that you can achieve anything despite having the condition.
Holly is one of Britain’s top TV stars. She presents live telly to millions. And that includes reading an autocue and wearing an earpiece.
But she doesn’t let dyslexia stop her from doing her job.
It doesn’t define her in any way.
Her honest interview will open doors to sufferers who may have felt the condition was holding them back.
Well played Holly.