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JAN MOIR: Holly’s new show is a steaming landfill of banality that makes even Meghan’s look good. It’s so obvious what’s behind her desperate quest to be ‘relatable’
Daily Mail columnist Jan Moir has delivered a scathing review of Holly Willoughby's new YouTube lifestyle series, Together, mocking it as tedious and banal despite the presenter's efforts to appear down-to-earth. Moir's review is part of a wider pattern of media scrutiny facing Willoughby since her acrimonious departure from ITV's This Morning, as she attempts to rebuild her public image through supposedly relatable, everyday content.
In the piece, Moir criticises an episode in which Willoughby and actor Stanley Tucci take 50 minutes to prepare a simple spaghetti and courgette dish, mocking Willoughby's on-screen remarks and questioning her attempts at "food critic" commentary. Moir draws an unflattering comparison to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and her Netflix series With Love, suggesting Willoughby's show is even less engaging, and notes it has been more than 30 months since Willoughby left This Morning in 2022 amid controversy alongside co-host Phillip Schofield.
In short
- Jan Moir savages Holly Willoughby's new YouTube show Together
- Review mocks a 50-minute spaghetti dish segment with Stanley Tucci
- Compares it unfavourably to Meghan's Netflix series With Love
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Public figures facing past controversy deserve genuine opportunity to move forward with new ventures. Audiences who find Willoughby's show engaging and relatable derive value from it, and such programming serves a legitimate viewer appetite that critics may dismiss too readily. The proper judges of whether her content succeeds should be viewers themselves rather than those intent on endlessly punishing past mistakes.
The case against
When a public figure departs under difficult circumstances, reasonable scrutiny of subsequent rehabilitation efforts is warranted rather than protective silence. If the show is genuinely banal and designed primarily for image recovery rather than authentic creative engagement, critics have a responsibility to identify this so audiences can judge truthfully. Accountability and candid critique deserve consideration alongside compassion—public figures shouldn't expect uncritical acceptance of their next project simply because they've faced difficulties.
Explained simply
Holly Willoughby is a television presenter who spent many years co-hosting ITV's This Morning, a popular daytime chat show. In 2022, she left the programme following a controversy involving her co-host Phillip Schofield, which significantly damaged her public reputation.
Since leaving This Morning, Willoughby has launched a YouTube lifestyle series called Together, in which she prepares food and has conversations with celebrity guests. The show appears designed to rebuild her career and public image by presenting herself as relatable and grounded to audiences.
Following the scandal at This Morning, Willoughby's reputation suffered considerably. She is now attempting to rebuild her career and image through new ventures, making her work a natural focus of media interest and commentary.
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