Holly Willoughby quits showbiz agency she shared with This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield
HOLLY Willoughby has quit the showbiz agency she shared with Phillip Schofield.
The presenter of ITV’s This Morning will instead manage herself in an all-female team.
Holly, 39, has made the empowering career decision to leave A-list YMU — the company formerly known as James Grant and which represents dozens of household names — after 13 years.
YMU also has the likes of co-host Schofield 58, Ant and Dec, Claudia Winkleman, 48, and Graham Norton, 57, on its books.
Instead of joining a rival, Holly will run her career via her new company Roxy Management.
She will work closely with an all- female set-up that includes a personal assistant, publicist and accountant.
A source close to Holly said: “Lockdown has given her time to reflect and think about her future.
“In many ways, it has become the perfect opportunity to start afresh and it was just time for a change.
“She is really excited about managing herself and having more say over decisions on a day-to-day basis.
“She has always had such incredible business sense and is proud to be a working mum and career woman.
“Her taking control back does not surprise me — it feels very natural and like the logical next step.
“She has been after a better work-life balance for a while and thinks this is the ideal next step.”
The mum of three is currently on holiday abroad with her TV producer husband Dan Baldwin, 45, plus kids Harry, 11, Belle, nine, and Chester, five.
Holly has fronted some of the biggest entertainment shows on UK telly, including This Morning and Dancing On Ice, as well as filling in for Ant McPartlin, 44, two years ago on I’m A Celebrity.
Her husband posted a fresh-faced photo of her last week on the beach for her website.
In May, the Sun on Sunday revealed that Holly had quit Celebrity Juice after 12 years on the ITV2 comedy quiz show to spend more time with her family.
Speaking in June, she revealed that she was excited about approaching her landmark 40th birthday next year as it would mean her taking control of her life.
She said: “I’m really looking forward to it. My 30s have been all about the kids — bringing them up, keeping all these balls afloat.
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“But now they are getting older, there is a bit more space where I can start focusing on things that are happening for me.
“I see my 40s as a chance to find myself again and figure out who I am.”
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