Holly Willoughby is set to make her long-awaited return to our screens with co-host Stephen Mulhern on Dancing On Ice.
The duo go back many years and in no time are 'almost unrecognizable' from the early days of their career when they presented Ministry Of Mayhem 18 years ago.
The former This Morning presenter, 42, and the Deal Or No Deal star, 46, presented the children's show on CITV from January 2004 to July 2006.
Both started their on-screen careers in children's television, looking fresh in a throwback ITV shared in 2018.
In the photo, the presenting duo looked incredibly youthful as they happily posed for the cameras backstage at an A-list affair.
Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern looked almost unrecognizable in a throwback photo from the Ministry of Mayhem, taken 18 years ago and shared on Twitter by ITV
The duo will reunite in the new year as co-hosts of ITV's Dancing On Ice – marking Holly's long-awaited return to our screens
The former This Morning presenter, 41, and the Catchphrase star, 46, (pictured in 2014) joined forces to host children's TV from January 2004 to July 2006.
The official ITV account posted on then Twitter: 'Fresh faced and almost unrecognizable – what a pair of troublemakers @stephenmulhern @hollywills in their Ministry of Mayhem days! #TBT #ThrowbackThursday.”
Taken in 2005, Holly would have been 24 years old when the photo was taken with her presenter, while Stephen would have been 28 years old.
The duo was present at the 'SPRUNG! THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT' movie premiere when the photo was taken all those years ago.
Ministry Of Mayhem received a facelift and was later renamed Holly and Stephen's Saturday Showdown.
Holly and Stephen have remained close friends over the years following their two-year presenting stint together on the children's TV show.
As their friendship blossomed over time, so did their broadcasting careers.
But Holly took a step back in 2023. She became embroiled in the saga which revealed her former Dancing On Ice and This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield had lied about a romantic relationship he had with a former younger colleague.
Schofield was sacked by ITV, while Holly also suffered over an alleged plot to kidnap her – after which she pulled out of This Morning.
But the presenting star is said to be 'excited' about her return after almost three months away since a former security guard was arrested.
An ITV insider told MailOnline: 'Holly is a star and everyone was hoping so much that she would decide to come back.
'After much discussion and much thought, she thought it would be a good thing to get some normalcy in her life.
'There are obvious concerns about live television, her main priority is her family, ITV has been extremely understanding and put no pressure on her at all.
'They wanted to give her all the time she needed, but it was a difficult decision for her.
“Time was ticking, but the bosses tried to remain calm.”
The mother-of-two has always looked forward to January, her chance to dress up in fairytale dresses and host the show alongside her former girlfriend Schofield, who she adored so much.
“As soon as Christmas was over, Dancing On Ice made Holly giddy,” a friend of the star described.
While she's a bit of an old hand on the series, her new co-host has a lot less experience.
Stephen joined Holly for an episode of Dancing On Ice in 2022, while covering for a Covid-stricken Schofield.
Holly co-hosted the show with the 61-year-old from its inception in 2006 until 2011.
Christine Lampard then replaced Holly for the next three series until the show ended in 2014, but she returned for the 2018 revival and has remained in post ever since.
Mulhern quickly emerged as the favorite to take over her co-host's position following Schofield's firing, saying it would be “great” to do so.
Photographed in 2005, Holly would have been 24 at the time of the photo with her presenting boyfriend, while Stephen would have been 28
Holly had stepped back from ITV after her long-time presenting partner Phillip Schofield was sacked after admitting lying about a romantic relationship he had with a former younger colleague.
Holly and Stephen have remained close friends over the years following their two-year presenting stint together on the children's TV show (seen in 2010).
In 2014, Stephen lifted the lid on his decade-long friendship with his new co-host in an interview with The sun.
The Catchphrase star revealed he goes to Holly for advice when he has a problem, praising her as a 'real partner'.
He told the publication: 'Ant and Dec, Emma Willis and Holly Willoughby are good friends. But that's about it.
'If I had a problem I'd go to Holly, and if I want advice that doesn't make sense and is likely to make things worse, I ask Ant and Dec.'