Holly Willoughby and her husband Dan Baldwin celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary with a rare photo together on holiday in Portugal.
The former This Morning host, 45, planted a kiss on Baldwin's cheek as he smiled for the camera holding a glass of rose wine. The snap appeared to be a throwback, judging by the length of Holly's bobbed hair, which is currently styled longer. Holly wore a striped cover-up and sunglasses on the beach, while Baldwin, 50, wore an unbuttoned brown linen shirt with a baseball cap, sunglasses and a gold chain necklace.
The family are on their annual trip to their villa in Portugal. Holly is mother to Harry, 17, Belle, 15, and Chester, 11, who are enjoying the yearly holiday with her. Holly and her estranged friend Phillip Schofield used to fly to the Algarve together every year until the tradition ended after his departure from This Morning. Holly stepped down from the show in October 2023 after it emerged she had been the victim of a kidnap plot, five months after Schofield admitted lying about a relationship with a much younger colleague.
Holly also posted a selfie on Instagram wishing her fans a "Happy Sunday" following the release of her new show.
New YouTube show launch
Holly has just returned to the spotlight with her new YouTube show Together, launching its first episode on Tuesday with guest Stanley Tucci, 65, star of The Devil Wears Prada. The comeback, after nearly three years out of the spotlight, has prompted mixed reviews, with critics pointing to desperate attempts at relatability through swearing and unsubtle innuendos.
A one-star review compared the show to Meghan Markle's own attempt to enter the lifestyle realm last year. Meghan launched a Netflix lifestyle series last March that was also blasted by critics. The Guardian branded Holly's show "a marginally less agonising With Love, Meghan," while The Telegraph stated: "[Holly's] dire show makes Meghan look good."
Within 24 hours of posting to YouTube, the episode had received 41,000 views, and the channel now has 11,000 subscribers. By comparison, the podcast The Rest Is Entertainment, which launched in November 2023, has 138,000 subscribers and sits among the top three entertainment podcasts in the UK. Its episode, posted the same day as Holly's, brought in 29,000 views.
Critics react to courgette cookery session
On the episode, Holly joins Tucci in making a pasta dish. The Telegraph's Anita Singh wrote that "they are so stuck for conversation that they end up reading out the ingredients list of a Fray Bentos steak and kidney pie." After a beer and wine, Tucci kicked off the cookery session by handing Holly a coloured courgette, prompting her to say: "I've never seen one like this before," in what was seen as an unsubtle innuendo similar to past This Morning slip-ups. Fans have complained elsewhere of shaky camera work and an overlong running time.
The Telegraph's one-star review read: "Holly Willoughby's dire YouTube show makes Meghan look good... Not even Stanley Tucci can redeem this 50-minute borefest of awkward small talk, forced swearing and pie tin trivia... 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."
The Mirror gave the show three stars but complained: "The result is a 50 minute show to cook a simple dish which might have worked better as say a tighter 30-40 minute episode in my opinion... And with only one guest to bounce off, a slightly edited down version, or in future having several guests with a connection might make the conversation more entertaining, fast flowing and lively. But it seems to be a deliberately laid back affair."
The i Paper's Sarah Carson wrote that "Her new YouTube series, 'Together,' is a confused attempt to present herself as relatable... The public either wants honest, unfiltered imperfection or glamour and something to aspire to. Willoughby still hasn't decided which she wants to be. Together is proof that her superpower was always her ability to be professional, not a personality."
The Times' Carol Midgley was more measured, 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... Tucci was, as usual, effortlessly charismatic and at ease in front of the camera, and his recipe for spaghetti con zucchine alla Nerano looked very tasty."
The Guardian's Stuart Heritage also gave the show three stars, writing that "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."
Upcoming guests
Teasers show upcoming episodes of Together will see Holly joined by her best friends Nicole Appleton and Emma Bunton, as well as Katherine Ryan and Joanne McNally.
