Monday, September 9, 2024

Holly Willoughby is RETURNING to ITV for revival of iconic 90s game show with old sidekick Stephen Mulhern – 10 months after quitting This Morning

Must read

Holly Willoughby is set to return to ITV to front a brand new show alongside her Dancing On Ice co-host Stephen Mulhern.

The duo will be presenting a reboot of the iconic 90s challenge show, You Bet!, which was previously fronted by Darren Day, as well as the late Bruce Forsyth and Matthew Kelly.

The beloved programme returns to ITV1 and ITVX with two action-packed primetime event specials this Autumn, full of epic challenges, mind-blowing feats, big name celebrities and nail-biting suspense.

As the classic show gets a revival, members of the public will use their unique abilities to pull off the most outrageous challenges imaginable, all for the chance of winning a big cash prize. 

You Bet! is commissioned for two 75-minute-long specials and is produced by Rollercoaster Television (part of ITV Studios). 

Holly Willoughby is set to return to ITV to front a brand new show alongside her Dancing On Ice co-host Stephen Mulhern 

The duo will be presenting a reboot of the iconic 90s challenge show, You Bet!

The duo will be presenting a reboot of the iconic 90s challenge show, You Bet!

The beloved programme returns to ITV1 and ITVX with two action-packed primetime event specials this Autumn

The beloved programme returns to ITV1 and ITVX with two action-packed primetime event specials this Autumn

A panel of celebrities and the studio audience must predict if each challenger can complete the extraordinary challenge with which they are faced. 

Guess correctly and points are added to the celebrities’ score, based on the percentage of studio audience who voted the same way.

At the end of the show, the studio audience vote for their favourite challenger who takes home a whopping £10,000. 

At the same time, the celebrity with the highest score wins £10,000 for their chosen charity, while the celebrity with the lowest score takes on the entertaining final forfeit.

Speaking about her return to the channel, she said: ‘I’m so excited to be part of this iconic game show with the fabulous Stephen Mulhern. 

‘I’m looking forward to seeing the astonishing skills on show from the challengers and which of our celebrity panellists can come out on top.’ 

Her co-host Stephen added: ‘I loved You Bet! as a kid, so I’m very excited to be hosting this with the wonderful Holly Willoughby. 

‘From the big and spectacular to the unique and unexpected, I can’t wait to see what extraordinary skills the challengers have up their sleeves.’

You Bet! was a popular challenge show in the 1990s

You Bet! was a popular challenge show in the 1990s

The classic show was previously hosted by the late Bruce Forsyth

The classic show was previously hosted by the late Bruce Forsyth

The last episode of You Bet! aired in 1997 and a source told The Sun that Holly is ‘deemed the perfect person’ to front its revival.

The source told the publication: ‘Her partnership with Stephen on Dancing On Ice earlier this year proved they have perfect chemistry and bosses wanted them back on screen.’

Adding: ‘It is wholesome family fun and with Holly at the helm with Stephen, ITV think they are onto a ratings winner.’ 

Holly made her ITV comeback on Dancing On Ice earlier this year after leaving daytime show This Morning in October 2023.

The presenter left the breakfast programme after 14 years following the uncovering of a kidnap and murder plot against her.

Announcing her departure at the time, she revealed she had made the decision for ‘herself and her family’. 

Holly’s stalker Gavin Plumb was jailed for a minimum of 16 years last month, following his convictions for plotting to kidnap, rape and murder the television presenter.

Following the horrific ordeal, fans were delighted to see Holly back on screen for Dancing On Ice, and the show ran weekly until March. 

But as that came to an end, Holly announced that her next move would be a step away from her traditional roles on terrestrial television, for which she is known and loved.

She is due to host a Netflix show, Bear Hunt, in which a group of British celebrities are put through their paces by Bear Grylls, the survival expert and adventurer, in the Central American jungle.

It is a change of direction for both Holly and for Netflix.

Holly is also due to host a Netflix show, Bear Hunt, in which a group of British celebrities are put through their paces by Bear Grylls, the survival expert and adventurer, in the Central American jungle

Holly is also due to host a Netflix show, Bear Hunt, in which a group of British celebrities are put through their paces by Bear Grylls, the survival expert and adventurer, in the Central American jungle

While no date has been set for the programme, it is expected to air from next year and will reportedly feature celebrities including Spice Girl Mel B, The Saturdays singer Una Healy and tennis star Boris Becker.

Bosses at the popular streaming service are said to believe that Holly’s wholesome appeal will help to bring in more mainstream British audiences, including those who watched her on This Morning for many years.

Netflix’s UK content chief, Anne Mensah, reportedly said the company wants to appeal to ‘everybody, from your mum to your next door neighbour’, with Holly surely the perfect face for that.

In recent months, the presenter has also shared hints that she will focus her attentions on other things outside of television, including work on her lifestyle brand, Wylde Moon.

Latest article