Holly Willoughby may be moving to the BBC to front a potential reboot of Cilla Black’s dating show, Blind Date.
The news comes shortly after it was confirmed that the 44-year-old would not be returning to host the rebooted ITV game show, You Bet!
Willoughby hosted the revival of the 1990s challenge show, alongside her Dancing on Ice co-star Stephen Mulhern, who will now front the show solo when it returns to screens later this year. You Bet! was relaunched with Willoughby attached to the programme in August 2024, after last airing in 1997. The show was previously presented by Bruce Forsyth, Darren Day and Matthew Kelly.
It also comes amid reports that Dancing on Ice is facing the axe, just days after it crowned Coronation Street star Sam Aston its winner. The speculation comes as the fan favourite explores the next step in her career.
"There might not sound like obvious parallels between Holly and Cilla, but they’re both two of the biggest stars of modern telly,” a source told The Sun.
Willoughby’s husband, producer Dan Baldwin, reportedly suggested the idea for the reboot. The presenter already hosts Netflix’s reality series Celebrity Bear Hunt.
"It’s not pure coincidence either that when ITV decided to reboot Surprise, Surprise - another show made famous by Cilla - it was girl-next-door Holly they turned to. So the prospect of her fronting a reboot of 'Blind Date' is a very real one, and a pairing that many viewers could see as a natural fit."
Although Willoughby is known for co-hosting shows including This Morning and Dancing on Ice, the source said that she hopes to find "a niche as a solo presenter with serious clout".
They added: "Emulating Cilla isn’t just about taking on her shows, it’s as much about carving out a niche as a solo presenter with serious clout in the world of telly.
"But together with her husband Dan, they form the ultimate power couple in TV. She has the public appeal that gets viewers tuning in, while he has a track record of making hugely successful TV shows."
Willoughby has faced a challenging period over the last couple years after a “tough” experience with a stalker who had plotted to kidnap her. She also quit This Morning after 14 years of co-presenting the show with Philip Schofield, as she said she wanted to focus on “me and my family”.
