Holly Willoughby says new Netflix co-host Bear Grylls helped 'harness her fears' after terrifying kidnap and murder plot ordeal

Holly Willoughby has said her new co-star Bear Grylls taught her that ‘being brave is about using her fear, harnessing it and doing it anyway’ when they worked together on their forthcoming Netflix series.

The former This Morning presenter, 43, will host Celebrity Bear Hunt - which sees famous faces dropped into the jungle of Costa Rica to become ‘prey’ for the TV survival expert.

Holly said: ‘There were a few moments on this show where I had to dig deep and have a strong word with myself.

‘At those times it was good to have someone like Bear Grylls next to you saying, being brave is about using that fear, harnessing it and doing it anyway.

‘Those words really get in your head and help you, he has definitely given me some transferable skills and being in nature allows you to put your thinking down for a bit and be present.’

She said the reason she decided to front the new programme was because her two sons, and daughter, with TV producer husband Dan Baldwin, are ‘massive fans' of Bear, 50.

She added: ‘Before we went into filming, Bear and I met to talk about the show, just spending a bit of time with him I was really inspired.’

‘This is his passion and his absolute love - he lives, eats, and breathes it. It’s incredible to be around.’

‘Having kids at different ages makes it quite hard to find something to watch all together.

‘Celebrity Bear Hunt has got the action and adventure that my boys Harry, 15, and Chester, 10, will love but also the reality, relationships, and dynamics that my daughter Belle, 13, and I are going to love watching together.’

Holly also said that she and Bear are ‘poles apart’, and viewers who saw her stint as a co-host of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! with Declan Donnelly in 2018 know she is ‘not great with bugs’.

She added: ‘I think that it’s important to challenge yourself as you get older, you should always push yourself to try new things.’

Celebrity Bear Hunt sees 12 contestants, including former tennis star Boris Becker, retired rugby player Danny Cipriani, TV host Steph McGovern, TV cook Big Zuu, The Saturdays star Una Healy and The Inbetweeners actor Joe Thomas, compete.  

Holly said that contestants Spice Girls star Melanie Brown, model Lottie Moss and Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas were strong competitors.

Her co-presenter Bear said: ‘Holly’s great, Holly has been a friend for some years.

‘She’s a great light and a familiar face for the celebrities when they come out of the Bear Pit (elimination area), which is such an intense experience for them.

‘Who wouldn’t want to have a bit of Holly warmth and kindness back in camp? Comforting, she’s exactly that.’

The Dancing on Ice presenter returned to television hosting last year after the conviction of Gavin Plumb, 37, who was jailed for planning to kidnap, rape and murder her. 

The former security guard was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a 16-year minimum term, after a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.

She broke her silence on the terrifying stalker ordeal, telling the Sunday Times: ‘It’s been a tough one. There’s no way of sugar-coating it.’

She said she was determined not to let the trial consume her, admitting she was made of ‘quite tough stuff’, but added that ‘nothing can prepare you for something like that’

She added she had to ‘decide, right, I can take this on board and it can absolutely affect all aspects of my life. Or I can make a choice to go, let’s focus on everything that’s positive and good, all those important things’.

Celebrity Bear Hunt is on Netflix on February 5.