Holly Willoughby says her 'big curvy bottom' was 'not her friend growing up' as she admits she became insecure over her shape during the Kate Moss 'waif era'

From breaking down in tears with a grieving mother to making fresh pasta with Stanley Tucci, Holly Willoughby has spent the first weeks of her new YouTube series revealing different sides of herself.

But now the presenter has opened up about one of her most personal subjects yet, admitting the Kate Moss ‘waif era’ left her insecure about her body growing up.

Speaking to comedian Joanne McNally as the pair tried on a range of tracksuits in the latest episode of Together released on Friday, Holly, 45, reflected on the beauty standards that dominated the 1990s.   

‘We grew up in a time of Kate Moss waif, so that was not my friend growing up,' Holly said.

Joanne, 43, replied: ‘I remember having any curves was just the most horrifying thing.’

‘Yeah it was,’ Holly agreed.

Explaining why she likes clothes that accentuate her waist, Holly said: ‘I want to show my waist because that’s the smallest bit because my bum is big.’

Joanne immediately disagreed, telling the presenter: ‘You’re such a show off. Look at that you’ve got the perfect figure.’

But Holly insisted: ‘No I do not, I do not.’

‘That’s what the Kardashians are using all those waist trainers to have and putting in all those BBLs,' Joanne added.

Holly’s comments come almost a decade after she debuted a noticeably slimmer appearance in 2017.

The television star has consistently refused to discuss dieting in detail, previously explaining she is reluctant to place too much emphasis on appearance for fear of encouraging unhealthy attitudes towards food.

Speaking to Prima magazine in 2018, she said: ‘I don’t want to encourage eating disorders. I try not to focus too much on my appearance.

‘As long as I’m being healthy, that’s good enough for me. I’m quite active and I try not to let the way I look be the main focus because it’s not the important thing.’

Holly’s comments also revisit one of fashion’s most controversial eras, when ultra-thin models dominated catwalks and magazine covers.

Kate Moss became synonymous with the so-called ‘waif’ aesthetic during the 1990s before sparking widespread criticism years later when she declared: ‘Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.’

The remark, made in a 2009 interview with WWD, prompted outrage from eating disorder campaigners, who accused the supermodel of glamorising unhealthy body standards after she had become one of the defining faces of the ‘heroin chic’ movement.

The latest instalment of Together marks another change of pace for Holly’s online series.

Last week’s episode saw Holly break down in tears as she interviewed bereaved mother Ellen Roome, whose son Jools Sweeney died aged 14 in April 2022.

Holly spent much of the conversation visibly fighting back tears before becoming overwhelmed as Ellen revealed she still plays an old video of her son to hear his voice.

Earlier episodes have seen Holly make fresh pasta with Stanley Tucci and play a game of ‘Snog, Marry, Avoid’ with comedian Katherine Ryan.

The first episode attracted 41,000 views on the day of its release, outperforming Richard Osman’s The Rest is Entertainment, which launched a new episode the same day and received 29,000 views. Holly’s channel has since amassed more than 110,000 views during its first week.

The series also marks the latest chapter in Holly’s gradual return to public life after stepping down from This Morning in October 2023 following the revelation of a horrifying plot to kidnap and murder her.

Her departure also came five months after the ITV programme was engulfed in controversy when longtime co-host Phillip Schofield admitted lying about a relationship with a much younger colleague.

After almost three years away from the spotlight, Holly’s comeback has divided opinion.

Last week, speaking to The Daily Mail's Katie Hind, seven months after she revealed the project, Holly revealed she was not worried about the reaction to the show.

She said: 'I know I'm not everyone's cup of tea. I know that and that's fine. I don't want to try to convince people if they don't want to watch.'

Referring to her stalking ordeal, she added: 'I don't fear what people think. I've had real fear, I know what that's like. Your perspective changes after something like that.'