So, Holly Willoughby is back – and this time, she’s doing things her own way. The former This Morning presenter isn’t returning to ITV, the channel she has been synonymous with for the past two decades but quit in late 2024, nor is she shifting loyalties to another broadcaster – some might have thought she was a shoo-in for the Strictly presenting gig. No, Willoughby’s reappearance will be on YouTube, where she will launch her own channel and show, Together.
The trailer for the twice-a-week series is as you’d expect, all jolly hockey sticks and convivial. It shows Willoughby trying on a tracksuit with comedian Joanne McNally and making her own sausages (an activity no doubt chosen for its NSFW visuals – “I feel like I’m on OnlyFans!”). She wears jeans rather than her This Morning wardrobe of designer midi-dresses and even slips in the F-word. This is Willoughby in relaxed relatability mode, and it’s impossible not to draw comparisons to Meghan Markle’s smarmy Netflix series (which, despite running for two series and a Christmas special, didn’t even break the streamer’s top 300 most popular shows; Netflix has not renewed the partnership).
It might look like a smart, bold move. YouTube is where the real money is made; it’s free to upload your own content and the ad revenue on successful channels can be astronomical (the biggest YouTuber in the world, Mr Beast, is thought to make tens of millions a year). There’s also the fact that Willoughby – and her TV exec husband Dan Baldwin, who is producing Together – will have sole creative control over the show. But in reality, it’s a huge mistake.
