Holly's situation 'unravelling'

As Holly Willoughby pleads guilty to careless driving, a PR expert gives new their analysis on how the star should move forward after a tough time

- Ellie Fry

She was once the golden girl of prime-time TV with the world at her feet, but few could deny that 2025 has been a brutal reminder that even national treasures can fall from grace.

With the cancellation of two of her biggest shows – Dancing On Ice and Netflix’s Celebrity Bear Hunt with Bear Grylls – and her decision to step down as co-host of ITV game show You Bet!, Holly's formerly jam-packed work diary is now worryingly empty. And last week the star's once squeaky-clean image took a serious battering after she was convicted of breaking a scooter driver's neck after crashing into him while driving her £25,000 Mini Cooper in Barnes, southwest London.

Holly's lawyer said the incident had left Holly “traumatised”.

“This incident is particularly challenging for her image because Holly's brand has always been built on responsibility, steadiness and a wholesome, 'national sweetheart' persona,” says celebrity PR expert Jane Owen.

Holly's latest crisis, which saw her slapped with six points on her licence and a £1,653 fine, comes just two years after she quit This Morning amid a terrifying kidnap plot.

Obsessed Gavin Plumb was jailed for a minimum of 16 years for plotting to abduct, rape and kill the presenter. It was the final nail in the