Holly Willoughby admits she is 'totally out of her comfort zone' and 'scared' amid launch of new TV show Celebrity Bear Hunt as she moves on from safe This Morning gig

LEOMIE ANDERSON

Holly Willoughby has admitted she is ‘totally out of her comfort zone’ and ‘scared’ amid the launch of Celebrity Bear Hunt

In Friday’s Graham Norton episode, the presenter, 43, spoke about her challenging new TV hosting gig, set in a Costa Rican jungle which launched this week, more than a year after she announced her departure from her safe This Morning gig.

Holly, who commanded attention in an all-black ensemble, explained adventurer Bear Grylls, 50, even got her involved in some challenges throughout filming of the programme which sees him chase 12 celebrity contestants across the wild terrain.

Speaking about her time on the new show, the former This Morning host said: ‘It is so nice to be doing something new and exciting and being on a proper adventure.

‘Working with Bear Grylls has taken me totally out of my comfort zone.

‘The magic of Bear is that he is really convincing and inspirational and even got me to do stuff and I am the scaredest person ever.’

Holly Willoughby has lifted the lid on going ‘totally out of her comfort zone’ with Bear Grylls on the hit Netflix show Celebrity Bear Hunt as she appears on Friday’s episode of Graham Norton

The presenter, 43, revealed the secrets behind the compeтιтion series set in a Costa Rican jungle which launched this week

The star-studded line-up for the series was revealed back in January, with the likes of Spice Girls star Mel B, 49, Strictly’s Shirley Ballas, 64, and The Saturdays singer Una Healy, 43 among the cast.

They were joined by Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas, 41, presenter Steph McGovern, 42, and Boris Becker, 57.

As Bear puts them through their paces, those who fail to impress will face the dreaded ‘Bear Hunt’ – a brutal game of cat and mouse where they’ll be hunted down by Bear himself and, if captured, face elimination from the show.

Filming of the show was so intense that Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, 59, nearly died during a freak raft accident where he was dragged underwater for several heart-stopping moments after getting entangled in a bungee rope before being pulled to safety.

The drama continued as Lottie Moss, 27, broke down in tears while opening up on her failed rehab stint for substance abuse and depression that ‘didn’t work’.

In emotional scenes, the former OnlyFans model couldn’t keep it together as she candidly told her co-stars that her 2022 stay ‘didn’t work’ and she was about to go into rehab again before starting the show.

On Tuesday, Holly looked as stylish as ever in a gorgeous black plunging gown as she made her arrival to the red carpet of the premiere for the programme at the Odeon West End in central London.

The star returned to screens for the new show after taking a break from TV following her departure from the ITV daytime show.

Holly, who commanded attention in an all-black ensemble, explained Bear even got her involved in some challenges throughout filming of the programme

Speaking about her time on the new show, the former This Morning host said: ‘It is so nice to be doing something new and exciting and being on a proper adventure’

Holly (pictured, on Graham Norton with Alan Carr) added: ‘Working with Bear Grylls has taken me totally out of my comfort zone’

She showed off her elegant style in the sleek £1,800 number by London-based designer David Koma which featured velvet detailing and was teamed with matching simple heels to boost her height.

Holly wore her blonde tresses in a sleek cropped do and opted for a glowing, natural makeup look.

She was joined by the show’s star and survival expert Bear who looked ready for action in all his gear and later pulled off an abseiling stunt.

It came after Bear admitted Holly was very nervous ahead of filming for the new show as she embarked on her TV comeback.

She took some time away from screens and the red carpet, aside from her role on Dancing On Ice, after a ‘graphic’ kidnap and murder plot against her was revealed back in 2023.

However the star is now throwing herself back into the spotlight with her most adventurous show yet.

And her co-star Bear explained just how nervous Holly was as he confessed: ‘She was was in at the deep end.’

Speaking on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with The National Lottery on Virgin Radio UK on Tuesday morning, Bear chatted about working with Holly as he said: ‘She was a dream.

The star returned to screens for the new show after taking a break from TV following her departure from the ITV daytime show

As Bear puts celebrities through their paces, those who fail to impress will face the dreaded ‘Bear Hunt’

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen almost died on Celebrity Bear Hunt, with Bear forced to jump in and rescue the ailing presenter

‘I’ve never really worked with anyone else like that before. She’s just gentle, heart led. She was nervous. She was in at the deep end.

‘What a great girl, and she added such a beautiful bit of empathy and love, a sort of warmth to the celebs when they’re back at camp because they were nervous. Everyone’s kind of high octane in it.

‘And she was great. She was great.’

Holly recently opened up about the challenges that came with being back at home after she took time out from work last year.

Finding a new role as a stay-at-home-mum, the presenter said it was challenging being home alone and not speaking to anyone all day, as she would want to chat to her kids – Harry, 15, Chester, 10, and Belle, 13 – when they got back from school but they’d be ‘exhausted’.

She told The Sunday Times: ‘It’s been sh** for all of us, we’ve had to get used to how each other works again, you know?

‘Don’t get me wrong, the kids, to begin with when I was at home a lot, they’d walk through the door and I’d be like, “So? What happened?” because I hadn’t spoken to anyone [all day].

‘Normally I’m at work and absolutely knackered, and so I’m like, “All right kids?” and they’re like, “All right Mum,” and that’s it – and suddenly I was, “So, what happened today?”

On Tuesday, Holly looked as stylish as ever in a black plunging gown as she made her arrival to the red carpet of the premiere for the programme at the Odeon West End in central London

She showed off her elegant style in the sleek £1,800 number by London-based designer David Koma which featured velvet detailing

She was joined by the show’s star and survival expert Bear, who looked ready for action in all his gear

Read More Heart-stopping moment Bear Grylls rescues drowning Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen in Celebrity Bear Hunt

‘They were like, “Mum, just because you’ve been at home all day — we’ve been at school, we’re exhausted”.’

Holly revealed she loved being able to return to doing the school run, something she knows other parents must have been jealous she usually got out of doing due to her early morning TV gigs.

As well as that, she said she had been able to go to so many more things her children – who she shares with her TV producer husband Dan Baldwin – were getting up to.

The Graham Norton Show is on BBC One on Friday 31st January at 10.40pm. Also available on BBC iPlayer.

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