Holly Willoughby replaces scandal-hit Schofield with new on screen TV partner

Mirror TV Columnist Sara Wallis gets a sneak preview of You Bet!, coming soon to ITV, which reveals that Holly Willoughby has moved on, replacing Phillip Schofield with a new co-host

As they walk out into the glossy studio holding hands, it’s clear that Holly Willoughby has replaced scandal-hit ex screen partner Phillip Schofield with her long time friend Stephen Mulhern.

There’s a buzzing new confidence about the TV hosts as they catch each other’s eyes, looking slick in their matching black outfits. The statement appearance has all the hallmarks of a new era for Holly. After a distressing year, which saw her departure from This Morning in the wake of Schofield’s affair and being the victim of a stalker who plotted to kill her, stunning Holly looks like she’s back on top and in control of her career as she hosts the brand new primetime ITV reboot of You Bet! Holly already hosts Dancing On Ice with Mulhern, who replaced Schofield this year, and now it seems they are consolidating their place as the hottest new on-screen duo.

During the two-part special of You Bet!, a nostalgic, but modern reboot of the iconic challenge show, Holly, 43, and Stephen, 47, have a clear chemistry, often hugging and clutching on to each other for support. Holly says: “It’s lovely working with Stephen. We started working together when I was in my twenties and have known each other for a very long time. There were lots of fun moments when filming this show together, we couldn’t help but play along and compete with each other.”

Stephen adds: “Holly and I love working together and we had so much fun on the show. But some of the challenges are really nail-biting and we were literally hanging onto each other. In one challenge the challenger is attempting to scale the outside of a multi storey car park to get to the top faster than a professional driver can drive up it. The climber slipped, the driver was almost hitting the posts, we could hardly watch, so I’m so glad we had each other for support.”

Holly stepped down from ITV’s This Morning in October 2023 after 14 years, not long after 62-year-old co-host Schofield was fired after admitting an affair with a younger colleague. The move also came six days after now-jailed Gavin Plumb was arrested after a planned attack on Holly, that involved plans to kidnap, rape and murder her. Meanwhile Schofield was sent firmly into TV exile, losing his Dancing On Ice gig as well as his friendship with Holly. But Holly and Stephen make a great new dream team as they host this surefire ITV hit.

You Bet! aired on ITV for 10 series in the 1980s and 1990s. Originally hosted by the great Sir Bruce Forsyth and later by Matthew Kelly, it was a stalwart of Saturday night TV. Now, it’s back…supercharged and reimagined for 2024. In two fun action-packed specials, starting on Saturday 7th December, the epic game show will see ordinary people take on extraordinary challenges and mind-blowing feats. Walking out into the big shiny studio, with bright lights, cheering studio audience and celebrity panel, a smiling Holly says: “Over two special nights, we’re going to be serving up the biggest, craziest, scariest and downright weirdest challenges on TV.”

Expect spectacular daredevil stunts to quirky tests of passions and pastimes, as a panel of celebrities ‘bets’ on whether the challenge can be achieved. For each challenge, a star-studded celebrity panel, including Rob Beckett, Alison Hammond, Harry Redknapp, Olly Murs, Mary Earps, Judi Love and Rosie Ramsey, and the studio audience must bet if the challengers can do it – yes or no? And the stakes couldn’t be higher because the audience’s favourite challenger of the night will win a massive £10,000. The losing celebrity must take part in the dreaded forfeit finale - performing unrehearsed with the cast of Tina - The Tina Turner Musical in episode one, and the cast of Back To The Future: The Musical in episode two.

Among the crazy challenges to expect - construction plant operator Will bets he can use his digger to set off three fireworks while doing a wheelie, gym instructor Mila bets she can climb the outside of a multi-storey carpark faster than a race car, goat farmers Lauren and Ian bet they can name any of their goats by looking at just one part of their body, and delivery driver Elliott bets he can deliver four takeaways on his bike faster than a drone.

Holly says: “I remember watching You Bet! as a kid, and I loved it. For me, it felt like true Saturday night telly. I remember being glued to the TV whilst watching a digger pick up six delicate eggs in its giant jaws and placing them on egg cups, all in a minute. I remember looking at my Dad who was equally as enthralled as I was. I think the show works for all ages and is real family viewing.” Asked what her You Bet! challenge would be, Holly adds: “My skill set is really minimal and the moment I’m put under pressure it all goes out the window. I think it’s quite a skill, getting three kids dressed, ready, fed and out the door in the morning. So maybe that would be my skill, getting a household of kids to school on time.”

Stephen explains: “The great thing about You Bet! is that, unlike any other game show on TV, everybody watching can play along. Everybody can bet on the challenges, deciding whether our challengers can do it…or whether they can’t. Every time I've ever been asked if there was a show that I could ever bring back, I've always said You Bet! So now is the chance for younger viewers who have never seen the show before to enjoy it and the older audience to reminisce and also see the show being brought up to date.”

He adds: “There are all kinds of things going on. There’s the return of the digger challenge, a real favourite from the original series, to quirkier challenges, like identifying a board game by hearing the contents being poured out into a box. We also have a new Quick Bets segment with fast-paced smaller challenges...like a woman folding five frying pans in half using her bare heads in just 20 seconds and someone bench-pressing a washing machine whilst riding a unicycle.”

On his most memorable moment from the series, Stephen reveals: “In one challenge a delivery bike driver takes on a delivery drone in a race. But who will win…human or machine? It's You Bet! like you've never seen it before. So I hope all the viewers that remember the show will enjoy it just as much, and the younger audience, if they love social media, then they're going to love this show. In each episode the loser has to perform with the cast of a major West End musical totally unrehearsed...and the results are truly spectacular...in all sorts of ways.”

Holly, a self-confessed fan of the original, says: “It’s a game show that the whole family can get involved in and a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ guessing game. We also have the celebrity forfeit at the end of the show - and no one wants to do that.” On the challenges, one in particular is memorable for Holly. She says: “The one that stands out to me the most was a lovely couple whose unique challenge was that they could identify different types of cactuses - whilst blindfolded - by licking them. Yep…only using their tongues, they had to identify many different types of cacti in order to pass the challenge. It’s a real treat in every way.” She says: “For the viewer experience, I’m most looking forward to the fact that they’ll be watching something they can really feel a part of and play along with at home. I also have to say the celebrity forfeit at the end of each show is not to be missed. It’s hilarious and sometimes hard to watch, but just brilliant.”

*You Bet! airs on ITV and ITVX at 8.15pm on Saturday 7th December

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .