Holly Willoughby is reportedly set to film a pilot for a chat show with Disney+, in a bid to break into the American market. Sources claim the former This Morning presenter, 45, will record an episode later this month, weeks after launching her own YouTube series.
The Disney+ project is said to be called The Holding Space with Holly Willoughby, and will see her interviewing high-profile women. A source said the whole premise of the show is empowerment and authenticity, with Holly leading the conversation.
The insider added that the production company has already spent a "fair bit" of money on the project and is "confident" it will be picked up by Disney+ bosses. The Daily Mail said it had contacted a representative for Willoughby for comment.
Return to the spotlight
Willoughby stepped down from This Morning in October 2023, after it emerged she had been the victim of a plot to kidnap her. Her exit came five months after the ITV show was hit by scandal when her longtime co-host Phillip Schofield admitted lying about a relationship with a much younger colleague.
Her last major TV role was Dancing On Ice, which was axed in 2025, while her Netflix show Celebrity Bear Hunt was also dropped last year. After nearly three years out of the spotlight, Willoughby launched her YouTube series, Together, at the end of last month, with Stanley Tucci, 65, as her first guest.
Reviews for YouTube series Together
The debut episode, in which Willoughby joins Tucci to cook a pasta dish, drew mixed reviews. The Telegraph's Anita Singh wrote that the pair "are so stuck for conversation that they end up reading out the ingredients list of a Fray Bentos steak and kidney pie."
After being handed a coloured courgette by Tucci, Willoughby said: "I've never seen one like this before," a moment likened to her past innuendo-laden slip-ups on This Morning.
The Telegraph gave the episode one star, with Singh writing that Willoughby's "dire YouTube show makes Meghan look good," adding that "not even Stanley Tucci can redeem this 50-minute borefest of awkward small talk, forced swearing and pie tin trivia." The Mirror awarded three stars, saying the 50-minute run time to cook "a simple dish" might have worked better at 30 to 40 minutes, and suggesting future episodes could feature several guests instead of one.
The i Paper's Sarah Carson called Together "a confused attempt to present herself as relatable," writing that Willoughby "still hasn't decided" whether she wants to offer "honest, unfiltered imperfection or glamour." The Times' Carol Midgley was more positive, noting the show "looks nice" and that Tucci was "effortlessly charismatic," with his recipe for spaghetti con zucchine alla Nerano looking "very tasty." The Guardian's Stuart Heritage gave it three stars, writing that Willoughby "has done a Meghan, rebranding herself as a cookery guru" in a show that "veers from agonisingly dull courgette slicing to sweary banter."
Viewing figures
The episode received 41,000 views in the first 24 hours after posting, and the channel now has 11,000 subscribers. By comparison, the podcast The Rest Is Entertainment, which launched in November 2023 and currently ranks among the UK's top three entertainment podcasts, has 138,000 subscribers. Its episode, posted the same day as Willoughby's with Tucci, has received 29,000 views.
Upcoming guests
Teasers for future episodes of Together show Willoughby joined by her best friends Nicole Appleton and Emma Bunton, as well as Katherine Ryan and Joanne McNally.
