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HOL NEW START
Holly Willoughby sparkles on Dancing On Ice after 101 days away – with return fuelled by roast & Stephen Mulhern pact
The 42-year-old took a hiatus from TV after an alleged plot to kidnap her
HOLLY Willoughby sparkled on her Dancing on Ice telly return last night.
She wore a shimmering silver gown for the ITV skating show, alongside new co-host Stephen Mulhern.
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The 42-year-old Dancing On Ice host has barely left home since quitting ITV’s This Morning in October after her world was shaken by an alleged kidnap plot.
It was only a fortnight ago that she confirmed she was returning to host the skating competition.
But Holly and new co-host Stephen, 46, strode confidently on to the rink after vowing to capture the fun of their early days on screen.
The pair began their TV careers on children’s programme Ministry of Mayhem amid gunge, silly games and dressing up.
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And the duo plan to lean on their 20 years of friendship to forge a new Dancing On Ice era after Stephen replaced Phillip Schofield, 61, who quit ITV over his relationship with a runner in his 20s.
And a friend of Schofield said he was “unlikely” to have tuned in.
Holly, with white blonde highlights in her trimmed bob, wore a bespoke Suzanne Neville silver gown.
Ahead of the show, she posted a picture of herself in the stunning dress on Instagram and wrote: “Dancing on Ice series 16! . . . Let’s do this one sequin at a time.”
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A source said: “Holly thrives on live telly and no more so than in those madcap days splurging slime and reacting to live chaos when she and Stephen first began on Ministry of Mayhem.
“They’ve talked about finding that same fun tone for Dancing On Ice and Holly sees this as a great way to embrace this big moment.
“This is incredibly important to her but they both think recapturing the free-and-easy tone of their early days is the way to go.
"She wants to lean on the strength of their past as she looks to the future.”
Stephen and Holly stepped on to the ice hand-in-hand yesterday, with Holly saying: “Hello! Thank you everybody, we are off. Welcome to the greatest show on ice.”
True to their game plan, the pair packed their introduction with jokes, chuckling over the “fear in the competitors’ eyes” and sharing a silly gag over first celeb skate contestant Greg Rutherford.
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Holly said: “Let’s get going with the very first of the series and we’re bringing out the long jumper.”
Stephen deadpanned: “Well, you’ve got to keep warm in January.”
Holly hit back: “No, we’re bringing out the Olympic long jumper!”
The banter would have been a dagger to the heart for Schofield.
A friend said: “Phil is still bruised by the whole Holly falling-out and the way it was played out publicly.
“He still can’t bring himself to watch This Morning and even listening to the theme tune is deeply triggering.
"It would seem unlikely he is avidly tuning in to watch Holly’s return to TV.
“Phil just wants to move on and live a quiet life away from the spotlight whilst he tries to rebuild.
“He reached out to offer his support when the awful kidnap news broke but it’s understood they have not been in contact since, so he’s probably not spoken to Holly ahead of her DOI return.”
Holly was reassured by security at Bovingdon Airfield, Hertfordshire, when she arrived to film Dancing On Ice.
And beforehand the stars and show production team tucked into a roast chicken dinner.
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Fans were thrilled by her return.
One wrote online: “Welcome back to our TV screens You were missed!"
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YEAR OF WOE
SEPTEMBER 2022: Holly and Phillip accused of jumping queue to see late Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall.
OCTOBER 2022: Pair are booed accepting the Best Daytime Award at the National Television Awards.
JUNE 2023: Questions raised on Holly’s knowledge of Phil’s relationship with a younger ITV employee after it is revealed. Is also criticised for her “are you OK?” monologue on This Morning after scandal.
SEPTEMBER 2023: Not part of NTA’s best presenter shortlist.
OCTOBER 2023: Holly quits as a presenter on This Morning after a former Pizza Hut worker was charged with plot to kidnap and murder her.
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