Holly Willoughby is set for a big TV return, her former co-star has claimed.
The This Morning star, 42, has not been seen publicly since she stepped down from the ITV show last month after finally being ‘tipped over the edge’ by an alleged ‘kidnap and murder plot’,
Yet Dr Ranj, 44, has revealed Holly will be back on screens in the future once she has worked through the ‘difficult’ place she finds herself in.
Speaking to Closer magazine the former This Morning doctor said: ‘Of course she will come back to TV, she’s too good not to.
‘I don’t know where or what show, but she’s so good at it, it would be a shame for her to back away completely.’
Comeback queen: Holly Willoughby will return to TV but ‘is still in a difficult place’ after quitting This Morning, her friend has revealed
Taking time out: Dr Ranj, 44, has revealed Holly will be back on screens in the future once she has worked through the ‘difficult’ place she finds herself in
Dr Ranj added that he had reached out to Holly amid her ‘tough’ ordeal to check if she was ok, revealing: ‘She replied and she’s good.
‘Obviously it’s a really difficult place for her to be in and she made a really difficult decision, but the kind thing to do is to reach out and just check in.’
Mother-of-three Holly, who originally joined the This Morning team in 2009, left the show last month ‘for the sake of her family’ after discovering she was the target of an alleged kidnap and murder plot.
It came five months after Philip Schofield’s departure after his affair with a young male showrunner was made public, followed by claims of an increasingly strained relationship with his co-host.
Holly was pulled from presenting the ITV show in October just moments before going on air after police informed bosses about the alleged plot.
Just hours previously, she shared a candid post on her Wylde Moon blog about coping with anxiety.
The post said: ‘If you or someone you love suffers with anxiety, you know how difficult it can be to cope with. You are not alone,’ followed by a link to tips and advice from Louise Chunn, founder of WellDoing.org.
Holly lives at her London home with her husband Daniel Baldwin, 49, and their three children – Harry, 14, Belle, 12 and Chester, eight.
She remained at her home under police guard after news of the plot emerged.
Family: Holly lives at her London home with her husband Daniel Baldwin, 49, (pictured in 2016) and their three children – Harry, 14, Belle, 12 and Chester, eight
The criminal proceedings are said to have left Holly – once the golden girl of British television – in limbo.
‘Holly’s life could not be more different to how it was a year ago and it has taken some adjustment,’ said one friend.
‘There was a time when she was dashing around as a busy mum of three, but now she has got much more time to spend with her family and having some time away from the cameras.
READ MORE: Holly Willoughby encourages fans to indulge in ‘lunar gardening’
‘She is much more of a homebody at the moment and who knows when that will change?’
It is well-deserved downtime for Holly, who some years ago was so busy that she pulled out of heading up a lifestyle brand with her friend and Dragons’ Den star Peter Jones so she could spend the time with her family.
But now she faces making one of the biggest decisions of her working life: if and when to return to television after she quit the This Morning sofa after 14 years last month.
She is due to return to host ITV’s Sunday night show, Dancing on Ice in January, which she previously hosted alongside her former friend Phillip.
It is her only commitment following her exit from This Morning and despite the BBC being desperate to poach her from ITV, there are no plans in the pipeline.
Sources at ITV say they are giving her ‘space and time’ to decide what she wants to do, while friends suggest that it might be some time before she makes a comeback.
Holly is also reportedly the favourite choice to front the rebooted Gladiators as insiders claim BBC bosses are eyeing her up as the new Ulrika Jonsson.
If she accepts, the TV presenter will apparently join forces with Bradley Walsh and his son Barney on the show.
The first series of the reboot was filmed this year with the duo at the helm and will air in January, more than 30 years after the 1990s version aired on ITV.
The new format would see Holly join the current hosts for the second series of the iconic show, which would be filmed over next summer.
Gladiators: Holly is also reportedly the favourite choice to front the rebooted Gladiators as insiders claim BBC bosses are eyeing her up as the new Ulrika Jonsson
