Holly Willoughby lifts lid on life after murder plot and Phillip Schofield exit

Holly Willoughby is bouncing back with a vibrant energy after enduring a year filled with challenges. Now the face of the new Netflix extravaganza Celebrity Bear Hunt, the 43 year old is all smiles yet plays coy about her upcoming exploits.

She does however give a nod to her good friend Bear Grylls for supporting her through the shocking kidnap plot that plunged her and her loved ones into distress. When prompted about her future projects and potential further collaborations with Netflix, Holly's response is laced with optimism: "All I've learned out of life is you never know what's around the corner," she beams.

"So I'm like, one day at a time, one step at a time, just like in the jungle."

The dynamic duo, Holly and Bear, are excitedly chatting up their novel series where a dozen celebrities rough it out in the wild, honing survival techniques while Bear hunts them down. Those not measuring up will find themselves out of the running.

Holly shares insights gained from her long-time friend Bear, confessing: "I just assumed that here was this man that had no fear," reports the Mirror.

She's inspired by his approach to fear as he acknowledges it but doesn't allow it to hinder him, an attitude she's eager to emulate—if even slightly—to aid her own journey.

"And actually he does have fear, but he doesn't let that fear hold him back. And I thought, God, that's brilliant. It really is something I want to try, and even if I can do it a tiny bit, then I think that will help."

Taking the helm solo for promotional affairs for the first time since her departure from This Morning, Holly’s resilience shines. The move comes following the conviction of Gavin Plumb, the security guard who orchestrated a horrific scheme to kidnap, rape and murder her.

Holly Willoughby faced a challenging period when her co-host Phillip Schofield left This Morning following an "unwise" affair with a younger colleague, leading to a breakdown in their communication. When asked if her new project away from ITV is a fresh start, Holly reflects and shares: "I think when you do anything new, it feels like that."

She adds, "And it's nice to try new things and go to new places. I've never been to Central America before, so this just felt like the right thing to do at the right time. Sometimes it's nice to be out of your comfort zone. And when Bear calls me and said, 'you want to go on an adventure? ' I was like, yes, 100%."

Holly explains that with her children being older, the timing was perfect: "My kids are that little bit older now, so it felt like the right time that I could do it, you know, the wheels weren't going to fall off my life if I left home."

Holly, 43, was separated her family—Harry, 15, Belle, 13, Chester, 10, and her husband Dan Baldwin—to spend three weeks filming in Costa Rica.

Despite usually having a co-host, Holly didn't see hosting alone as an issue, saying, "I know what you mean, normally there's somebody alongside me. But actually, what's been quite nice, obviously, Bear's with me for a fair bit of it. And if Bear's not there, then I'm either with the celebrities or I'm with them."

"So for me, like when you're on telly, even if you're on your own, it's always about connections. You're either connecting through the camera with the person that's watching, or you're connecting with the person you're interviewing, so it doesn't actually feel like a lonely place ever. I don't think."

The star-studded line-up of the show includes Spice Girl Mel B, tennis legend Boris Becker, TV personality Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, models Lottie Moss and Leomie Anderson, and Strictly judge Shirley Ballas. Journalist Steph McGovern, Ted Lasso actor Kola Bokinni, TV chef Big Zuu, Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas, former Saturdays singer Una Healy and ex-rugby player Danny Cipriani make up the dozen.

They are put to the test with various survival tasks, with some performing better than others. Bear confessed he had high hopes for Boris to overcome the challenges but "the jungle took its toll", while Lottie surprised everyone by "letting out her warrior spirit".

Having also hosted I'm a Celebrity for a year, one can't help but wonder how Holly would do if she participated?

"I would be utterly useless," she admits. "I mean, that's why I honestly, if the call came through, I would sit in the corner and cry. I just, I wouldn't have said yes to this, like if I'd been asked to take part.

"I just wouldn't, because I'd have been, I'd have been too scared, I wouldn't have been able to do it.

"But that's why I'm so in awe of our 12 celebs taking part, because I just think, God, well done you."

Bear, however, seems to have a different take on Holly's resilience over the past year. He looks at Holly and remarks: "She's always deflecting, saying how great [the celebs] are, and they were all great, but you come off a sort of a career of pressure. Live TV is pressure."

"So I think you're pretty good at that. And I think I kept thinking, you would be, you'd be steelier than you give yourself credit for."