This Morning star Holly Willoughby’s life took a massive turn upside down after her kidnapping scandal. She quit her position as the host of This Morning and went into hibernation for months. Speculations regarding her return to Dancing on Ice were circulating for a long time including ITV bosses looking for a replacement for her. However, the beloved presenter returned to the show and is now set to go on to bigger things.
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Holly Willoughby to go international with deal with Netflix
After becoming a household name in the UK, Holly went through a lot with Phillip Schofield's scandal and death threats. After months of being away from the limelight and staying lowkey, Holly has now signed a new mega-money deal with Netflix that is believed to make her a global star.
An insider told The Sun that Holly’s team negotiated a mammoth fee for her deal with the streaming giant, which will see her hosting a new reality show alongside Bear Grylls. The insider revealed:
Holly and her team grafted for this deal with Netflix and negotiated a very attractive package.
Holly is a seasoned broadcaster and a safe pair of hands which made her a popular choice with Netflix.
Indeed, it was reported that Holly negotiated herself a ‘very attractive package’ bagging a £1M payday for her first show away from terrestrial television. However, sources have since dismissed the claims, reports MailOnline.
While her pay remains a mystery, there is no doubt that Netflix has splashed out an insane amount of money on this project. They are planning to make the show bigger than its competitors like I’m A Celeb and Strictly Come Dancing. A source said:
Netflix are determined their collection will be largely killer, with very little filler. They're not scrimping on paying six-figure fees and aren't afraid to cough up more for the biggest names.
They'll be shelling out an eight-figure sum in all, so the cast will be one of the most expensive in reality TV history.
The show is set to be filmed in May in the Costa Rican jungle, however won't be aired until January 2025.
Netflix to pay £1 million for Holly Willoughby’s security during Bear Hunt
Holly along with Bear Grylls and at least ten celebs are due to fly to Costa Rica this month for the filming of the reality show.
According to sources, the budget for the show is said to be £10 million and an additional £1 million is set aside for protection from murders, assassinations and attacks in the jungle of Costa Rica, where all of this is on the rise. Ex-special forces and former military guns for hire will protect Holly from drug gangs and kidnappers.
This comes after Holly Willoughby was the centre of a kidnapping plot last year. A 36-year-old man - Gavin Plumb - was arrested by the police for soliciting to commit murder and incitement to commit a kidnapping. The alleged plot was foiled by the police and ITV was informed immediately to ensure Holly’s safety, reports The Sun. The man arrested was accused of contacting a 'hitman' in the US and allegedly making a ‘restraint kit’ as part of an alleged plan to snatch the TV star.
According to the charges, he allegedly ‘solicited, encouraged, persuaded, endeavoured to persuade, or proposed’ to murder Holly. Gavin Plumb encouraged the US-based man to travel to the UK and had ‘assembled a kidnap and restraint kit capable of encouraging or assisting the commission of the kidnap of Holly Willoughby.’
Amidst this, a source told The Sun that 'keeping Holly and everyone fully protected in Costa Rica is the priority'. They added:
That means hiring specialist teams of guards, many of whom will be ex-military and special forces experts.
They’ll also need specialist vehicles, safe accommodation and a secure location in which to film.
That won’t be straightforward or cheap in a country which has a very luxurious tourist trade combined with a dangerous underbelly.
Holly Willoughby’s leaving party with celeb mates
Before Holly puts her life in the hands of Netflix's special guards, she decided to leave the UK with a bang. She reportedly threw a 'secret' leaving party with her famous pals. The list included Christine Lampard and Nicole Appleton, at the Mexican restaurant Ixchel on King’s Road in Chelsea, London. Holly’s fancy bash was held in a private room.
A sneak peek at the Full Moon menu revealed stars had a choice of three signature cocktails, reports The Sun. These included Holly's Paloma, Bear's Punch and The Aztec Marg. The menu is a nod to Holly's lifestyle brand Wylde Moon.
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Sources Used
The Sun: How Holly Willoughby plans to ‘go global’ as she signs mega-money Netflix deal and hires Maya Jama’s team after crisis
Yahoo! News: Holly Willoughby: From children’s TV presenter to darling of daytime telly
The Sun: Holly Willoughby protected by ex-military guns for hire on new Netflix show filmed in country hit by rise in kidnapping
The Sun: What happened to Holly Willoughby? ‘Kidnap plot’ explained
Daily Mail: Sources rubbish claims that 'Netflix bosses are "upset" after Holly Willoughby's huge salary for new £10M reality show was leaked' amid TV comeback
The Sun: Inside Holly Willoughby’s secret leaving party with celeb mates as she quits UK to film new Netflix show in Costa Rica
