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Holly Willoughby is reportedly the favorite choice to front the rebooted Gladiators as insiders claim BBC bosses are eyeing her as the next Ulrika Jonsson.
The TV presenter, 42, who left her role on This Morning last month, will apparently join forces with Bradley Walsh and his son Barney on the show.
The first series of the reboot was filmed this year with the duo at the helm and will air in January, more than 30 years after the 1990s version aired on ITV.
The new format would see Holly join the current presenters for the second series of the iconic show, which is due to be filmed next summer.
A source said The sun: ‘The BBC loves Brad and Barney, but Brad and Holly have also been proven to have a great dynamic when they appeared together on the Beeb show Take Off.
New job? Holly Willoughby is reportedly the favorite choice to front the rebooted Gladiators as insiders claim BBC bosses are eyeing her as the new Ulrika Jonsson
Gladiators: The first series of the reboot was filmed this year with the duo at the helm and will air in January, more than 30 years after the 1990s version aired on ITV
Double act: The TV presenter, 42, who left her role on This Morning last month, will apparently join forces with Bradley Walsh and his son Barney in the show
‘Since Holly’s departure from This Morning, many channels and broadcasters have been considering what she could bring to their shows.
“And because she’s such a big star, she’s a perfect fit for a major entertainment show, which the Gladiators reboot undoubtedly is.”
The source added that BBC bosses will air the first series before talking to Holly’s people.’ MailOnline has contacted representatives for comment.
Last month it was reported that BBC chiefs were about to raid Holly in a bid to lure her to the broadcaster, while her future at ITV remains in doubt.
The company’s bosses have been keen to land the presenter for some time now and can now make their move with her current projects on air.
Holly left her role on This Morning after 14 years in October, while her presenting job on Dancing on Ice is yet to be decided.
Executives at the BBC are reportedly discussing possible ways to lure the presenter to them as the face of some of their biggest shows, sources say.
Holly has been on the BBC’s radar for some time and attended the Variety Showbusiness Awards last year as guest of honor alongside Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore.
Original: Ulrika Jonsson – presenter of the original 1990s version on ITV
Withdraw: Last month it was reported that BBC chiefs appear ready to swoop in on Holly in a bid to tempt her to the broadcaster, while her future at ITV remains in doubt
Connections: Her husband, TV producer Dan Baldwin, already has strong ties to the company, as his company Hungry Bear is producing the upcoming Gladiators revival,
Her family-friendly image and bubbly personality are seen by the BBC as the perfect combination to be the face of entertainment at the broadcaster.
Her husband, TV producer Dan Baldwin, already has strong ties to the company, as his company Hungry Bear is producing the upcoming Gladiators revival.
He is also behind the hit Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, which has been airing on the channel since 2015, and The Wheel, which launched in 2020.
The tentative move to woo Holly was made last year in the wake of public outrage over the ‘queue gate’ – which meant she and Philip Schofield did not have to wait in line with the rest of the public to see the late Queen Elizabeth II lying in state.
Less than a year later, things have changed dramatically for the star, who has now left the long-running daytime show to focus on her family.
She had been given a significant pay rise to stay on the show in the wake of the scandal when Phil quit in May after admitting to lying about his relationship with a younger colleague.
The presenter confirmed on Instagram that she ‘will not be returning’ to the show on Tuesday
ITV bosses are due to relaunch This Morning in January, with Holly as host alongside a new permanent presenting partner, and Good Morning’s British Ben Shephard is expected to be announced in the role.
The show has now been thrown into chaos, with bosses on the hunt for a brand new presenter pair to host.
The list of presenters, including Alison Hammond, Craig Doyle and Josie Gibson, are currently holding down the fort.
Holly left viewers and ITV bosses in shock when she announced her departure from the show with immediate effect.
The channel is still unsure whether it will present Dancing on Ice in January as planned, with just a few weeks to go before promotional trailers featuring the presenters, judges and contestants are broadcast.