Holly thwarted by new setback

As presenter Holly Willoughby faces a planning dispute, an expert tells New the star should take 'a long pause' to win back support and reset her career

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After a challenging year both personally and professionally, Holly Willoughby was no doubt hoping to turn over a new leaf in 2026.

But the star has been dealt a fresh blow after her dream £8 million home became the focus of a bitter planning row – leading to fears the fallout could overshadow her long-awaited TV comeback.

Holly, 44, and her TV producer husband Dan Baldwin, 50, already had plans approved for a gym, cinema and a ground floor link at the lavish six-bed property in the south east. But proposals to add a first-floor glass corridor were branded “inappropriate” and “overly dominant” by council chiefs.

It’s the latest in a long line of setbacks for Holly. Just last month, her girl-next-door image took a hit after she pleaded guilty to careless driving after a collision with a scooter driver, whose neck was fractured, while driving in Barnes, south west London.

The fear now, an expert tells new, is that Holly’s latest negative headlines could potentially stall her TV return. “At a time when so many people are struggling financially, headlines about a large home extension inevitably land badly, even if everything is being done within the rules,” says celebrity PR expert Mayah Riaz. “The danger for Holly is that she risks looking out of touch. Perception often shouts louder than facts, and right now that perception is uncomfortable.”