The BBC has made a move for daytime telly queen Holly Willoughby.
Top executives are plotting new shows for the host of This Morning and one chief contacted her directly within the past few days.
The timing was significant – as the storm over her former co-host Phillip Schofield hit new heights.
Holly, 42, built up a good relationship with BBC bosses while presenting ice challenge show Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof last year.
And their new bid to lure her came amid revelations that an external investigation would probe safeguarding at ITV in the wake of Phillip’s affair with a younger colleague.
The latest move for Holly – who was set to return home last night after a family break – came after Beeb bosses held high-level talks about projects they could offer her.
A source said yesterday: “Holly has had a good relationship and an open dialogue with BBC bosses since she hosted Freeze the Fear.
“Ever since then they have been keen to sign her up for another project and have bent over backwards to offer her other opportunities.
“So the ongoing drama at ITV has played into their hands.
“The bosses have had conversations this week about what they could offer her going forward.
“And one executive reached out to her directly earlier in the week.
“Holly was still away on holiday at the time. But she really values her relationship with the BBC and the friendships she has built up there.”
News of the BBC approach came as the British Soap Awards – which Phillip, 61, was to have hosted – went ahead last night.
Singer Jane McDonald stepped in to present the glittering event, which goes out on ITV on Tuesday.
Phillip agreed to quit This Morning last month as a rift between him and Holly deepened.
He quit ITV altogether after admitting to an affair with a male colleague more than 30 years his junior.
Holly – who co-hosted Freeze the Fear with Lee Mack – was on holiday in the Algarve as the ITV crisis reached fever pitch last week.
She has close ties with a number of BBC execs. Chief content officer Charlotte Moore is a friend and they were pictured socialising together at last year’s Variety showbusiness awards.
Holly and TV executive husband Dan Baldwin have also become close to Kalpna Patel-Knight, who was given a new BBC role of head of entertainment commissioning last year.
It was Kalpna who offered Holly the job of hosting the BBC’s revamp of Survivor earlier this year – which she turned down after it clashed with her This Morning schedule. The role went to another ITV talent, The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett.
But the dialogue between Holly and Kalpna has continued. And they are understood to have had multiple conversations since This Morning was plunged into chaos.
The source went on: “Kalpna, Dan and Holly have been very, very tight since they worked on Freeze the Fear together. They are talking to each other regularly.
“Kalpna has been keen to work with Holly again ever since and offered her Survivor. She was desperate to sign her up for that. But Holly couldn’t make it work alongside her filming schedule for This Morning. Ever since then, Kalpna has been keen to find another format for her and the recent developments at ITV may well open the door for that.
“If somehow This Morning does survive, losing Holly would be an absolute hammer blow.”
One insider said: “You can’t underestimate the impact this scandal has had on the team behind the show. It has been absolutely seismic.”
Holly is expected back on the sofa at This Morning tomorrow, alongside Josie Gibson. But her return comes as the future of the show – and that of executives Carolyn McCall, Kevin Lygo, Emma Gormley and Martin Frizell – hangs in the balance, amid claims of a “culture of toxicity”. Frizell has denied the claims.
We revealed last week how Carolyn had warned she was set to axe This Morning as the backlash against Schofield exploded. She will face an MPs’ grilling about the scandal on June 14, after being called to appear before the Culture, Media and Sport committee. This Tuesday, ITV’s director of group strategy Magnus Brooke will be quizzed by the committee over channel conduct.
On Friday’s show, host Alison Hammond welled up as she spoke about Phillip’s first interview and referred to the This Morning “family”.
Emotional Phillip had said he deeply regretted the affair, and admitted he knew his career was over. He said he had kept it secret from everyone at ITV – including bosses and, not least, former best pal Holly.
An ITV spokesman did not respond to a request to comment.
The BBC declined to comment.
