TV golden girl Holly Willoughby speaks to The Mirror about the terrifying odeal and how she took a step back before planning her next exciting move16:02, 20 Jul 2026Updated 16:58, 20 Jul 2026She was the golden girl of daytime TV, impeccably helming ITV’s flagship show This Morning for 14 years.‌But Holly Willoughby’s career came to a crashing halt in October 2023 when police uncovered twisted loner Gavin Plumb’s vile plot to kidnap, rape and murder her. The horrific ordeal came weeks after her co-host Phillip Schofield resigned following months of lying about his affair with a young staffer.‌Speaking at the launch of her new YouTube series Holly Willoughby Together, Holly told The Daily Mirror how the horrifying ordeal changed her and how she spent months soul searching before deciding to return to broadcasting.‌She said: “Obviously everybody knew what happened and it was a difficult time. Everybody in their own way goes through something. I needed a bit of time out, just to come to terms with everything. I needed a little space and time with family and my friends, just to be away from work.”Now Plumb is serving a life sentence and Holly is taking steps to reclaim her crown as the queen of lifestyle TV with the launch of her new YouTube series Together With Holly Willoughby. The show features celebrity guests including Stanley Tucci, Nicole Appleton, Katherine Ryan, Emma Bunton, Rob Beckett and Joanne McNally and has cooking tutorials, real life interviews, fashion advice and wellness tips.‌It’s been a traumatic time, but Holly, 45, credits her children Harry, 17, Belle, 15 and Chester, 11, and her husband Dan, with pulling her through. She said: “Life moves on, and I’m a mum, and I have my kids, and my husband, and all the important stuff in life.If there's anything I've learned, it's don't look too far into the future. It's just day by day. Let's just see what happens.”‌Dan’s company Hungry Bear is producing Holly’s new show, and working together has been a blessing for Holly. She said: “I'm now doing this with my husband, and this feels like the right time to be doing this.”It was Holly’s children who inspired her to make a show for YouTube, after she realised they preferred it to traditional TV. However, Holly is too familiar with the dark side of fame to invite her children onto the show. She said: “I've kept my kids very separate from everything.They're not adults yet, but they can make their decision when they’re adults and if that's what they want to do, they can do that.”Holly’s infectious giggle is one of the things that’s made her a star and her new series showcases her sense of humour as she jokes with her guests. In the last couple of years, it’s laughter that’s kept Holly sane - laughter and wine.‌She said: “I have a glass of wine, sit and cook a really nice meal and just have a laugh. I think laughter really is the best medicine. It's the most important thing. You can diffuse any situation. If I’m having a rubbish day I'll find myself going on YouTube, watching things that make me laugh. Even if it's stupid cat videos. My daughter is like, ‘Stop sending me cat videos!’ I can't help it, it makes me laugh. I think you've just got to find those things. Find those little bits of joy.”Holly doesn't shy away from tough subjects either. One of her first interviews on her new show is with grieving mum Ellen Froome who believes the 2022 death of her 14-year-old son Julian ‘Jools’ Sweeney was caused by an online “blackout challenge” that went wrong.Her story left Holly tearful, but she was inspired by Ellen’s strength after she successfully fought for Jools’ Law, which forces social media companies to automatically save a child’s online data within five days of their death, so it can be used as evidence.Article continues belowHolly said: “She’s telling her story and I'm looking at this woman, and I'm just thinking, ‘How are you putting one foot in front of the other?’ He was her only son, it’s the reason why her marriage ended and she's on her own. The only thing she's got is this drive, this determination, to make sure that no other parent goes through something like this again. I wonder if in those circumstances, ‘Would I be as strong as you?’ And honestly, I don't know. I just love telling stories like hers, because I think we can all learn a little bit from it.”Together With Holly Willoughby will be available on YouTube from the 28th JulyLike this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.