Holly Willoughby wins praise for her ‘stunning’ new look after revealing short blonde bob on Dancing On Ice – as ratings improve after launch received worst in show’s history
Holly Willoughby received warm praise on Sunday night after debuting a sleek new look for the second part of ITV talent show Dancing On Ice.
Willoughby is back on mainstream television for the first time since retiring from public life after an alleged plot to kidnap and murder the mother-of-three came to light in October.
Joined by new co-host Stephen Mulhern, the 42-year-old presenter was at her bubbly best as she embraced the current trend for pink in an elegant off-the-shoulder dress.
But viewers were equally impressed with her new hairstyle; a noticeably straighter and shorter blonde bob that seemed at odds with the tousled look she showed during the show’s initial launch.
On X, formerly Twitter, an enthusiastic fan wrote: “Has Holly’s hair ever been this short (or straight)?”
Holly Willoughby received warm praise on Sunday night after debuting a sleek new look for the second part of ITV talent show Dancing On Ice
The presenter revealed a noticeably straighter and shorter blonde bob that seemed at odds with the tousled look she showed during the show’s initial launch
The same follower later added, “I’m not sure how much shorter she could go from here!”
A third wrote: ‘I saw the ending and had to watch Holly Willoughby twice. Is it just me or does she look different?’
Apparently agreeing, a fourth Dancing On Ice viewer shared a photo of the presenter’s new look, captioning it: ‘Stunning.’
Although Willoughby’s final performance proved to be a hit with fans, viewing figures remained low after the launch night recorded its lowest viewing figures ever.
An average of 3.8 million viewers tuned in to see Ricky Hatton become the first celebrity to leave after losing the first skate-off of the series.
The figure is a slight improvement on the launch evening, which attracted just 3.6 million visitors.
For comparison, the launch was watched by 4.1 million people in 2023 and 4.3 million in 2022. The 2021 opening show had 5.4 million viewers, while in 2020 it was 5.1 million.
On Sunday night, Willoughby stunned in a chic maxi dress with an animated bow on her shoulder, as she paired her look with matching pink nails and a sleek new hairstyle.
Viewers were impressed with her new hairstyle and commented on the look on social media on Sunday evening
Willoughby returned for the second episode alongside new co-host Stephen Mulhern
The TV presenter captioned her post: ‘On Sundays we wear pink! @DancingOnIce 6.30 pm on @itv… see you soon’.
Willoughby recently shared a poignant post about ‘thriving in dark times’ after making her TV comeback on the ITV show.
The presenter was away from screens for over two months before returning to co-host the ITV skating competition with Stephen Mulhern.
Her lifestyle brand Wylde Moon shared an Instagram post about ‘resilience, strength’ and ‘thriving in dark times’.
When posting a photo of a moonflower on their Stories, the caption read: ‘The moonflower has become a symbol of blossoming in dark times.
‘These fragrant, white flowers have evolved over millions of years to open only at night and their ethereal, nocturnal beauty is a powerful symbol of how resilience, strength and growth can blossom during the darkest and most challenging moments.’