Who’s that girl?

Holly Willoughby has gone from being the girl from Brighton to a national treasure. She has that girl-next-door persona about her – and became a household name back in 2009 when she replaced Fern Britton as co-host alongside Phillip Schofield on ITV’s flagship daytime show, This Morning.

The award-winning presenters, who were first put together on Dancing on Ice three years prior to Holly landing the This Morning role, have a great chemistry on-screen and have also formed a close friendship off-screen. Says Holly: “I think it’s just the fact that we’ve got a friendship first and foremost. We’ve known each other for a really long time now and we pretty much know what the other one’s thinking, half the time, so it makes our working relationship really easy…and fun too!”

Holly, 41, and husband Dan Baldwin tied the knot in August 2007 in a romantic church ceremony before hosting their reception at Amberley Castle, with Holly designing her own wedding dress – taking inspiration from her mother Linda’s 1977 wedding outfit – before asking a friend to make it. “I knew I wanted it to be very vintage, lace, with long sleeves, a high neck and a beautiful, open back, as that’s what everyone sees when you walk down the aisle. Oh, and a long train…if you can’t do that on your wedding day, when can you?,” Holly told Wylde Moon, her official lifestyle and guidance brand. Speaking previously about the secret to her relationship with TV producer Dan, Holly revealed: “Support is everything in mine and Dan’s relationship. 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.”

The presenter has a closely guarded private life, especially when it comes to her three children, Belle, Harry and Chester. Home for the family – and their pet dog Bailey and cat Bluebell – is a £3 million sixbedroom Edwardian house in southwest London. Away from our TV screens, Holly is a brand ambassador for Marks & Spencer, while she has also collaborated with Dunelm to create The Holly Willoughby for The Home bedding range. Talking about the inspiration behind the collection, she says: www.dunelm.com/info/holly-willoughby)

“I’m not an interior designer so whenever I design for the range, all I can do is dress a bed in a way that would make me happy in my own home. For me, your bedroom should be your sanctuary; a place of calm away from the busyness of everyday life.” With a busy schedule that involves very early mornings, late-night events and caring for her family, being on top form is a priority: “I love the luxury of sinking into a bath before bed and if I’ve got the time, that’s exactly where you’ll find me; soaking in essential oils, listening to Desert Island Discs! I think a bath, followed by climbing into a bed with fresh sheets, is literally the best feeling in the world!”