Holly will temporarily take over from Ant this series
Holly Willoughby has opened up about how Ant McPartlin felt about her temporarily taking over his role on I’m A Celebrity.
It was announced last month that the 37-year-old would be stepping in to host the show alongside Declan Donnelly whilst Ant continues to take time out from his TV commitments.
Now Holly has revealed that she consulted with Ant, 42, before agreeing to take the job and it sounds like he felt pleased about her being his chosen replacement.
“He was part of the discussion from the off,” said Holly. “He’s happy that I’m looking after it until he gets back. It does help that we all know each other.”
The mum-of-three has confessed that it will feel strange to present a programme with someone who isn’t her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield, but thinks that it will actually be Dec who finds it particularly odd.
“I think it’s going to be much weirder for Dec,” Holly told Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine. “I mean he’s only ever worked with Ant.”
Ant wasn’t the only person consulted in the process as Holly has revealed that she also got in touch with Phillip, 56, to seek his advice when she was offered the role.
“Before I’d even said yes,” she explained. “When it comes to TV, Phil gives really good advice.
“He laughed at the thought of me freaking out over the bugs.”
Phillip has reassured Holly that he thinks she’ll be ‘brilliant’ on the show.
“The great thing is we’re all mates, Dec is a mate of ours,” Phil said. “It’s just the nuts and bolts and guts you have to worry about.”
Holly has also admitted that being able to take her three children with her was a vital part of agreeing to do the programme.
“It was an issue,’ the TV star - who shares the kids with husband Dan Baldwin - confessed. “I don’t think I could have left them for that long.
“Obviously they’re going to have a tutor, but their school was really understanding.”
Holly will join Dec down under when I’m A Celebrity returns to our screens this autumn.
