Television presenter Holly Willoughby has landed a £5million partnership deal with healthcare brand Voy for her new YouTube show Together despite critical reviews.
The 18-month agreement between production company Hungry Bear Media and the weight-management firm comes after the former This Morning host launched the series last month.
A source told The Mirror that Voy paid in the region of £5million to work with Willoughby, 45, on the digital project. The insider noted that while the contract is directly with Hungry Bear Media, the brand bought into Willoughby's programme ideas and target audience, believing her fans match their consumer demographic.
"It's a big money deal for Holly, although lots of that money is tied into making the shows," the source added. They stated that Willoughby is very keen to stress that Together is a project she wants to build as a programme in the years to come, with hopes that Voy will continue to be on board as it grows.
The Daily Mail has approached representatives for Willoughby and Voy for comment.
Background to digital move and sponsorship
Willoughby stepped down from hosting ITV daytime flagship This Morning in 2023. Following three years out of the spotlight, she launched Together on her YouTube channel last month, marking her transition from traditional television to online streaming.
Hungry Bear Media, an independent British television production company, produced the series, while UK healthcare brand Voy provided the multi-million pound sponsorship backing.
Subscriber figures and episode viewership
The debut episode of Together featured first guest Stanley Tucci, 65, the American actor and star of The Devil Wears Prada. The 50-minute episode included attempts at relatability through swearing and unsubtle innuendos, as Tucci demonstrated a recipe for spaghetti con zucchine alla Nerano.
Within 24 hours of being posted to her channel, the premiere episode accumulated 41,000 views. The channel has since reached 19,300 subscribers and total views of around 350,000 in August so far.
For context, UK entertainment podcast The Rest Is Entertainment launched in November 2023 and currently has 138,000 subscribers, ranking among the top three entertainment podcasts in the UK. An episode of The Rest Is Entertainment released on the same day as Willoughby's show accumulated 84,000 views.
Critical reception and media comparisons
Despite the commercial deal, Together failed to impress critics upon release, receiving a series of harsh reviews and a one-star rating.
Reviewers compared Willoughby's transition to Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, who launched a Netflix lifestyle series in March last year that was widely panned.
Writing in The Mirror, critic Mark Jefferies observed: "Holly Willoughby's new YouTube show has the right ingredients but they aren't used correctly. She swears five seconds into it, something we aren't used to seeing her do on our screens in the daytime. But don't worry, this is Holly 2.0 showing how relaxed and different she is now she is in control and away from the general rules of TV on YouTube."
Stuart Heritage of The Guardian branded the show "a marginally less agonising With Love, Meghan." Wrote Heritage: "The former This Morning host has done a Meghan, rebranding herself as a cookery guru with a YouTube show that veers from agonisingly dull courgette slicing to sweary banter. Somehow, in spite of it all, I am rooting for her."
National newspaper review breakdown
In a scathing review for The Telegraph, Anita Singh stated that "[Holly's] dire show makes Meghan look good."
Singh wrote: "Not even Stanley Tucci can redeem this 50-minute borefest of awkward small talk, forced swearing and pie tin trivia. Holly Willoughby's dire YouTube show makes Meghan look good. With Love, Meghan is a masterpiece compared to this borefest - the Duchess of Sussex a veritable Anthony Bourdain."
She added: "Even Meghan's producers had the good sense to keep changing things up, editing her so she whizzed from rainbow fruit platters to flower arranging to holding guests hostage while potato printing. Yes, With Love, Meghan was demented, but at least it was demented in different ways."
In contrast, Carol Midgley offered a more positive assessment in The Times, writing: "Will it be a success? Well, it looks nice, Holly may take her fanbase with her, and her profile means she will probably be able to entice a good quality of guest."
Midgley noted that Tucci was "effortlessly charismatic and at ease in front of the camera," adding that his recipe for spaghetti con zucchine alla Nerano "looked very tasty."
