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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Vicki Newman

Holly Willoughby says she has overcome weakness in marriage to Dan Baldwin

Holly Willoughby 's marriage to TV producer Dan Baldwin seems to be totally unshakable - but she's the first to admit that they've got their weaknesses too.

They met in 2004, got married in 2007 and have three kids together - Harry, 12, Belle, 10, and Chester, seven.

But of course, the 41-year-old and her husband have had to work hard at their relationship, just like every other couple.

Holly, who has had to miss Dancing On Ice and This Morning while she recovers from Covid-19, has given plenty insight into her marriage over the years, and she's always been honest.

In 2020, she told Red magazine: "Support is everything in mine and Dan’s relationship.

Holly and Dan met on kids' show Ministry of Mayhem (@hollywilloughby/Instagram)
They've been married since 2007 (Getty Images Europe)

"He’s very solid ground; he is where I fall. And he knows when something is wrong – it makes me feel emotional even thinking about it. But of course he has weaknesses; we both do. The key is holding up each other’s strengths and not poking at each other’s weaknesses.

"There are little moments that I really cherish when he tells me he's proud of me and vice versa."

She went on: "He can wind you up to the point where you just want to scream, but he has a really good moral fibre that runs through him."

Holly also opened up about the ups and downs her and Dan have been through in her book Reflections.

And she admitted there's one passing comment from Dan that always drives her round the bend.

Holly with presenting pal Phillip Schofield (Matt Frost/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

She penned: "If I'm watching something on TV and my husband suddenly asks, 'Why are you watching this [expletive]?', it'll spark something deep inside and I will get disproportionately angry about it.

"But actually I'm angry because I subconsciously feel as though someone's trying to control what I'm doing.

"My husband absolutely isn't trying to control me, but I'm getting a really strong reaction, so maybe I'm worried about control in my life."

But of course, above all else, Holly is still as crazy about Dan as she was when she met him on ITV children's show Ministry of Mayhem, where she was a presenter and he was a producer.

She also wrote: "The last few years I've kind of been looking inward a little bit. And I sort of got to this stage in life where I was like 'I've got a really lovely life, I love my husband, I fancy my husband. I've got great kids. I'm very blessed in many, many ways, but something is missing'.

Holly says Dan is her best friend (Instagram)

"And I couldn't work out what it was, and eventually having looked inwardly, I sort of went 'God, it’s me! I'm missing!'"

Holly once spoke about how her romance with Dan took her totally by surprise.

She said on Loose Women earlier this year: "We met on Saturday mornings and we became really ridiculously close friends.

"It was this intensity of friendship for about 10 to 15 weeks. And I remember cheersing him with a glass and I was looking at him and like 'Oh my God, I fancy him, I fancy my friend!'

Holly with children Harry, Belle and Chester (Holly Willoughby/Instagram)

"It took me so by surprise and I thought, 'Oh God, what’s just happened?' And the relationship carried on. And I think in hindsight, I was falling in love with him.

"I think that’s what that intensity was, but I didn’t necessarily recognise it."

And when asked if Dan is her best friend, she added: "Yeah, definitely. He knows me better than anyone.

"He’s my absolute support. He gives the best advice of anybody.

"He’s got that strength and good moral fibre, so I always check and run everything past him."

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