Holly Willoughby’s Freeze The Fear With Wim Hoff’s ‘future in doubt with second series put on ice’

Freeze The Fear With Wim Hoff has reportedly been put on hold with the future of the show up in the air.

The BBC programme, hosted by Holly Willoughby, 41, and Lee Mack, 53, saw eight celebrities embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure under the coaching of extreme athlete Wim Hof, 62.

But the future of the show is in doubt, after it was reported that no work had been done on the second series.

The series saw Holly return to the BBC after nearly a decade, even taking a break from This Morning to film it in January 2022.

said a source Sun: ‘Since 2004, Holly has worked almost exclusively for ITV as one of the channel’s most prized presenters.

“So it was a big deal in the industry for her to come over to the BBC and show that she had real confidence that Freeze the Fear would be a huge success.” But as it stands, she hasn’t been worked on for a second series.

“At this time last year, the crew was months into pre-production and shooting was only two weeks away. Never say never, but as it stands, no decision has been made about the future of the show.

MailOnline has contacted the BBC for comment.

The show was based on Wim, aka The Iceman, who led VIPs through a series of challenges designed to test their limits, both physical and mental.

The likes of Strictly Come Dancing pro Dianne Buswell, 32, actress Tamzin Outhwaite, 51, and former gymnast Gabby Logan, 48, took part in the first series.

Each week saw them take on grueling challenges, gradually becoming more daring as the series progressed.

Under Wim’s support, celebrities learned to reap the rewards of cold water therapy and faced a unique test of mental strength.

Wim has dedicated his life to showing others that they can achieve things they thought were impossible.

He previously used special techniques to control his mind and body while running a barefoot half marathon over the Arctic Circle, plunged into ice for 1 hour and 52 minutes, and scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania wearing only shorts and shoes.

“There is a natural power in the cold,” he says. ‘When we hug him, that’s when the magic happens.’

“It’s not about being tough,” Hof says. ‘It’s about taking possession of the power of your own mind.’

But while viewers were impressed with the tough man, many missed the point of the show. Some even jokingly questioned whether it was a ploy to paint the cold in a positive light as the cost of heating rises.

One tweeted: “Thought I was learning about Wim Hoff and cold therapy and not watching troubled millionaires #FreezeTheFear.”

Another posted: ‘#freezethefear Look how wonderful it is to be cold! Is it a government sponsored information program to get us to turn off the central heating?

A third wrote: ‘Very disappointed in #FreezeTheFear – Instead of exploring more deeply breathing techniques, physiological effects and balance of mind.

“The show was just more light beige entertainment with a few gimmicks. It devalued the concept.”

Several posters were on board with the concept, but said it would have worked better if ‘real people’, rather than celebrities, had been given the opportunity.

“I’d rather see normal people, cancer survivors, recovering addicts, or people who really need to change their perspective on life, rather than those who are paid (probably a small fortune) to raise their profile,” one wrote.

However, others defended the show, saying it was just some much-needed escapism.

One tweeted: ‘Absolutely brilliant but crazy. Jumping into the icy water and rappelling facing the cliffs. Eek.’

A second chimed in: ‘#FreezeTheFear was the boss tonight. I would love to do all those things. But he was happy sitting at home watching toast and hot chocolate with me. #wimhof.’