Holly Willoughby is said to be confirmed to co-host this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! with Declan Donnelly, amid Ant McPartlin’s break from TV.
TV insiders told the Mirror: ‘Holly is 100% confirmed to be going into the Jungle this year as Ant’s stand-in’, as speculation continues to mount surrounding the signing…
‘It’s been in the works for weeks as ITV were really keen on getting her in. They’ve taken their time announcing it as they wanted to be sure Holly could fit it in with her family and other work commitments.’
New team? Holly Willoughby is reportedly the ‘frontrunner’ to co-host this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! with Declan Donnelly, amid Ant McPartlin’s break from TV (pictured February 2015)
Shortly before the apparent confirmation, further sources told The Sun that talks about the presenter’s potential stint are at an ‘advanced stage’, as the 37-year-old is said to be the ‘only star in talks for the role’.
The ITV star, who is on a six-week break from This Morning, ‘is in secret negotiations with show bosses’, after being pipped as the ‘firm favourite’ for the role.
Holly has worked with ITV for nearly two decades as a presenter for the network’s most-viewed shows, which feature Celebrity Juice and Dancing On Ice.
An insider told the publication: ‘Holly is far and away the front-runner and talks are at an advanced stage.
Who’s next in line? TV bosses confirmed Ant, 42, will be replaced for the forthcoming season of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and that Dec, also 42, won’t be hosting alone
Reports: According to The Sun, talks about the presenter’s potential stint are at an ‘advanced stage’, as the 37-year-old is said to be the ‘only star in talks for the role’
Speaking on the mother-of-three’s strong relationship with Ant, 42, they continued: ‘Not only is she loved by ITV bosses and the nation, but she is also one of Ant’s closest friends.’
The source added: ‘Flying the flag for him in his absence means the world to her.’ MailOnline has contacted ITV and Holly’s representatives for comment.
Following Ant’s drink-drive charge earlier this year, Holly spoke out about their close bond, admitting that she ‘loves him to bits.’
In an interview with The Guardian, the blonde shared: ‘Everybody knows that Ant is a very good friend of mine and I’ve known him for a very long time.’
She also touched on her decision to refuse from speaking about his arrest: ‘Out of respect for him, I love him to bits, it’s not something that I find very easy to talk about. Because it’s a friend. His is not my story to tell.’
Close pals: Following Ant’s drink-drive charge earlier this year, Holly spoke out about their close bond, admitting that she ‘loves him to bits’ (pictured June 2016)
Holly’s possible stint has been much-talked about since Ant announced he will take a break from presenting for one year.
TV bosses recently have confirmed that Ant will be replaced for the forthcoming season of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and that Declan Donnelly won’t be hosting alone.
Ant and Dec, also 42, were split up for the first time earlier this year after the star suffered a relapse during his addiction recovery and had to take a break from his career to focus on his health.
Impressive résumé: Holly has worked with ITV for nearly two decades as a presenter for the network’s most-viewed shows, which feature Celebrity Juice and Dancing On Ice
Following the embattled star’s revelation, fans were left to speculate who would replace him alongside co-host Dec for the show’s 18th series.
While Ant was absent for the final shows of his and Dec’s series, Saturday Night Takeaway, Dec remained at the helm and hosted it by himself.
On Thursday, it was suggested that the host of the show’s Australian incarnation – Julia Morris – would be replacing Ant on the British version of the show, as well as Scarlett Moffatt.
Gogglebox star Scarlett, 28 – who won the show when she was a contestant on it in 2016 – was ‘ruled out’ of the job last week, The Sun claimed, seemingly leaving the position vacant.
Will this woman replace Ant McPartlin on I’m A Celebrity? Comedian Julia Morris emerged as a favourite to take the troubled star’s role after UK viewers went wild for her one-liners on the Australian version
The replacements? Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt – who won the show when she was a contestant on it in 2016 – was ‘ruled out’ of the job last week, The Sun claimed
Earlier that day, speaking at The Edinburgh International Television Festival in Scotland, TV Director of Television Kevin Lygo said: ‘We’ll find someone to stand by [Dec’s] side. The good news is [Ant is] doing well; he’s doing everything he should be doing to get better.
‘We collectively thought let’s give it a good enough time off because this thing is a slow procedure so that’s what we’ve decided to do. He’s not going to go to the jungle but Dec is, we’ll find someone to go with Dec. He’ll do it with somebody.
‘I have [decided who that person is]. It’s going to be Piers Morgan… no! No I don’t know. It could be Jeremy Corbyn! I don’t know who it is but, erm, I can’t say.’
Despite the struggles to pinpoint the right person for the job, Lygo explained that he doubts a brand new face will be given the position.
Up for grabs: On Thursday at a TV event in Edinburgh, executive Kevin Lygo said ‘He’s not going to go to the jungle but Dec is, we’ll find someone to go with Dec. He’ll do it with somebody’
Going solo: While Ant was absent for the final shows of his and Dec’s series, Saturday Night Takeaway, Dec remained at the helm and hosted it by himself last spring
‘I don’t see it as our primary function to bring on new talent and I think it can be counter-productive. If I was an agent and I had an exciting new presenter I’d be quite worried about putting them into the white heat of the spotlight of a big show on ITV.
‘Frankly if you don’t get above four million viewers it’s not great.’
After a campaign went viral urging ITV to give 50-year-old comedienne Julia the job, she sparked speculation by ‘liking’ a tweet suggesting she would be an ideal candidate and admitting she would take the job ‘in a heartbeat’ during a breakfast TV appearance.
Julia first emerged as a possible candidate after a montage of her presenting the Aussie version of the show, alongside co-host Dr Chris Brown, went viral on Tuesday.
After racking up over one million views in just 24 hours thanks to Julia’s razor sharp wit and hilarious one-liners, British fans began campaigning for her to replace Ant.
Open to offers? After a campaign went viral this week urging ITV to give the 50-year-old comedienne the job, Julia appeared to confirm she is in the running by ‘liking’ a tweet suggesting she would be an ideal candidate
And on Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain, the presenter expressed her wish to join Dec in the jungle.
She said: ‘I’d take the job in a heartbeat, I am a huge huge fan of the show, I lived in the UK for seven years and when I came home to Australia and I heard they were doing an Australian version I was lock stock and two smoking barrels for it because it always looked like they boys were having so much fun so I was lucky enough to land it.’
Despite the Australian star being unfamiliar to the majority of British viewers, it appeared her charisma and humour quickly won them over.
One UK fan wrote on Twitter: ‘Campaign for this lady to replace Ant on the British #ImACelebrity. (I think her name’s Julia Morris?)’
BBC Radio One’s Scott Mills and comedian James Barr also threw their support behind Julia by sharing her I’m A Celebrity Australia showreel with their followers.
Familiar with the format: Julia is no stranger to the show’s format, having presented all four seasons of the Aussie version, which is filmed in South Africa. Pictured with her co-host Dr Chris Brown on November 19, 2015 in Sydney
As the campaign gained momentum across Twitter, Julia appeared to hint that she could join Dec when the UK show starts filming in Australia later this year.
Tellingly, she ‘liked’ a fan’s tweet that read: ‘Loved you when you were over in England those years ago. You fancy standing in for Ant while he has time off for our [I’m A Celebrity] this year?’
Julia is no stranger to the show’s format, having presented all four seasons of the Aussie version, which is filmed in South Africa.
She is also well acquainted with the British Isles too, spending seven years living there after marrying UK comedian Dan Thomas.
During this time she had a stint presenting BBC’s Liquid News show in 2002 and also appeared on QI, Not Going Out and Kathy Griffin’s My Life on the D-List.
‘Campaign for this lady to replace Ant’: Julia first emerged as a possible candidate after a montage of her presenting the Aussie version of the show went viral on Tuesday
‘Seriously, what do we have to do to get Julia Morris on British television?’ BBC Radio One’s Scott Mills and comedian James Barr also threw their support behind Julia by sharing her I’m A Celebrity Australia showreel with their followers
In a statement to MailOnline earlier this month, Ant shared details of his recovery following his drink-drive charge in March.
‘My recovery is going very well and for that to continue, having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off.
‘I’d like to thank both Dec and ITV for their continued support and I look forward to getting back to work in the new year.’
Lygo said at the time: ‘ITV is completely supportive of Ant taking as much time as he needs in his recovery and of this mutual decision to rest Takeaway in 2019.
‘Ant is clearly making good progress and we wish him all the very best and look forward to him returning to ITV next year. An announcement on I’m A Celebrity plans will be made in due course.’
Disaster: Ant’s career break follows the collapse of his marriage to Lisa Armstrong and a four-week treatment in rehab in the wake of a drink-drive charge (pictured April 2015)
Lygo backed the decision to take a year off from Saturday Night Takeaway in 2019 yet again on Thursday. He said: ‘I think it was important from Ant’s point of view to not worry about doing any work. They’re proud of it and they want to do it perfectly, bigger and better every series.
‘So they just felt they were getting constrained the time was getting a bit cramped and so we took the decision not to have it this year. And otherwise it’s great. They will be back next year.’ It will return in 2020, all going to plan.
Ant’s career break follows the collapse of his marriage to Lisa Armstrong and a four-week treatment in rehab in the wake of the drink-drive charge.
In April, he was fined a record breaking £86,000 ($151,000) after he was caught more than double the legal limit in a car crash.