How Holly Willoughby’s set to ‘become UK’s Gywneth Paltrow’ worth £12.5m – beating Claudia Winkleman as TV’s most-wanted
HOLLY Willoughby is back on our TV screens looking as fabulous as ever fronting Dancing on Ice.
The former This Morning host dazzled in a silver sequin gown alongside long-time pal and co-presenter Stephen Mulhern.
According to insiders, Holly vows to “bring back the fun” after her three-month break as she looks forward to another season of the skating show.
From kids’ TV host to breakfast sofa star, Holly has a net worth of £12 million and takes the crown as the richest female presenter in the UK – beating the likes of Amanda Holden, Susanna Reid and Claudia Winkleman.
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede says: “The OGs of TV are reigning supreme and there is no stopping them. With big fan bases, prime time shows and endorsement deals galore they are at the top of their game and proving that age is nothing but a number.”
The future’s bright – and bursting with pound signs – for Holly, and she’s not the only TV queen with a net worth making new stars jealous.
Here, Nick reveals TV’s most-wanted women who are stealing the show, their staggering net worths and the million-pound paychecks they’re yet to see.
Tess Daly – £3 million
54-year-old Tess was a globe-trotting model before finding her feet in front of the camera and earning more than she ever dreamed of.
From The Big Breakfast to SMTV Live and teen show T4 – where she met hubby Vernon Kay – the northern presenter is now thought to earn £150,000 a year hosting Strictly Come Dancing alongside Claudia Winkleman.
You can’t do much better than Strictly but Tess had her sights set on story writing, publishing two fiction reads and a food and fitness guide ‘4 Steps’.
The mum-of-two gives her 868k Instagram followers regular peeks inside her sprawling Buckinghamshire mansion, which boasts a fancy swimming pool and a massive garden full of Shetland ponies.
And when she’s not filming Strictly, Tess swaps her spray tan for sunshine on no-expense-spared holidays to California, Ibiza and Saint Tropez.
Nick says: “Brits see Tess once a year on Strictly Come Dancing but she makes such an impact on screen, she’s still making money all year round.
“As the face and body of Wellwoman, she’s an aspirational celebrity with a hot husband and a hit TV show.
“She’s a devoted mum-of-two and I think her dazzling Strictly style makes her a brand dream.
“With her own swimwear brand Naia being swept off the shelves, she’s not going anywhere.”
Amanda Holden – £3.6 million
Any Heart Radio fan will recognise Amanda’s raucous cackle. She hit our screens on Blind Date back in 1991 and while she didn’t get a smooch, she did skyrocket to fame.
At 52, this personality has done it all from Kiss Me Kate to Shrek the musical, travel TV reporting on Wish You Were Here and talent spotting on Britain’s Got Talent.
Amanda is thought to earn £850,000 for every season of BGT and gets the golden buzzer from male fans for those saucy swimwear snaps on social media.
Money is little object to hard-working Amanda, who jetted off on a £2,400-a-night holiday to Dubai last summer and reportedly spends around £35,000 on wellness treatments from CollagenWave facials to SLIMYONIK fat burning.
Nick says: “She’s a national treasure and far from slowing down she’s doing more.
“Amanda’s collaboration with Lipsy clothing was both fabulous and sold out in hours.
“She’s endorsed everything from Baylis and Harding to Bundleberry and people can’t get enough of her.
“With her Italian adventure with Alan Carr being a wonderful slice of sun in the winter months, Amanda is showing a different side of herself.
“Her lucrative Heart breakfast gig shows she’s proof that it’s good to be busy and boy is she in demand.
“I think her fun and friendly persona coupled with Hollywood goddess exterior really endears consumers and fans alike.”
Lorraine Kelly – £4 million
Scots presenter Lorraine signed a £2.1 million contract with ITV in 2017 and while her current salary is unknown, her net worth is bound to have blossomed.
The bouncy breakfast host has been on telly for over 40 years from TV-AM to GMTV and her very own self-named show.
At 64, she’s modelled clothes for JD Williams, flogged furniture with Wayfair, waxed lyrical about Weight Watchers and even received a CBE from the late Queen.
She owns her own £4 million company, Albatel personal services, and has a book out in February, The Island Swimmer.
In 2017, the star downsized from her £800,000 Dundee mansion to a £2 million riverside retreat in Buckinghamshire which boasts a 200ft garden, boat mooring and a landing stage with spectacular views across the Thames.
Nick says: “Lorraine and her TV show are institutions and long may they reign.
“Lorraine is fun, friendly and likeable and you feel comfortable with her as most of the nation have lived with her brightening up our screens.
“She’s made her money from TV, her clothing edits and now with the release of her debut novel she could become the next Jackie Collins and make a mint from publishing and TV adaptations of her stories.”
Davina McCall – £4 million
Two words: Big Brother.
We officially fell in love with mouthy, manic Davina when she threw barmy Brits into the Big Brother house from 2000-2010.
By the ninth series, she reportedly cashed £85,000 per episode.
Proving her worth with the public, she went on to host Pop Stars: The Rivals, Comic Relief and Big Brother’s Bit On The Side.
The 56 year old has since hosted a tonne of prime time TV shows from Long Lost Family to The Masked Singer and Million Pound Drop.
She even gives Love Island a run for its money, enticing young telly watchers with middle-aged dating show My Mum, Your Dad.
While the star is a stickler for saving money, last autumn she generously splashed her cash on a trip to Walt Disney World Florida for her kids and their mates – the clan rode roller coasters, simulators and even went on safari with their very own guide, gifted by the resort.
Nick says: “She’s been on our screens for years and there is no stopping Davina.
“She’s become a fixture on Saturday night TV with her fabulous judging on The Masked Singer but she’s also become a beacon of light for women who have reached menopause.
“She’s overcome many issues and has been open and honest about her health and finding love later in life.
“With her hit TV format My Mum, Your Dad and Long Lost Family, Davina is someone who people trust and who has a genuine interest in human beings.
“She shows compassion and care and this is why brands from fitness, beauty and lifestyle love her so much.”
Ruth Langsford – £5 million
From heated debates with her Loose Women clan to catty spats on live TV with husband Eamonn Holmes, Ruth Langsford has been a household name since 1999.
Ruth, 63, has a whopping one million Instagram followers of all ages thanks to regular stints on Saturday Night Takeaway, a QVC clothing collection and a whip around the Strictly dance floor with Anton Du Beke in 2017.
She even has a performing arts business, Hey Ho, and a lavish Surrey mansion worth around £3 million.
The six-bedroom palatial home boasts a dressing area fit for a queen and an enormous walk-in wardrobe filled with designer goodies and red carpet ball gowns.
Nick says: “Ruth made her money from Loose women and this morning appearances but a lot of it was from her successful fashion ranges on QVC.
“Ruth is one of the most successful fashion queens out there. With her jackets, dresses and jewellery she’s making millions.
“With her friendly and homely personality she’s a housewives’ favourite and an icon in the daytime TV world – I see her gracing our screens for years to come and who knows, her bank balance could hit £6 million.”
Susanna Reid – £8.5 million
53-year-old Susanna worked her way up to the red sofa on BBC Breakfast, where she spent 13 years delivering the news at dawn.
The BAFTA-nominated journalist jumped ship to Good Morning Britain in 2014, after coming second on Strictly Come Dancing.
Then, in 2022, she reportedly signed a whopping £1.1million deal to stay put at GMB and deliver a banter-filled breakfast programme alongside Piers Morgan, Ben Shepherd and Kate Garraway.
The mum-of-three takes serious pride in her appearance and confesses to splurging on facials and investing in a Peloton bike to workout from home at her £1 million London mansion.
Nick says: “She’s the breakfast queen who manages to be warm and journalistic everyday.
“She’s not afraid to cover difficult topics and has become the voice of the nation. She has also fronted various hard-hitting documentaries too.
“And everyone loves her because she looks amazing. Her style is elegant and timeless – and her haircut is headline grabbing.
“She’s cheeky and she has the likeability factor coupled with authority which makes her a national treasure.”
Claudia Winkleman – £8.5 million
Claudia’s quick wit, trademark full fringe and heavy eyeliner have made her an unmistakable face and one of the most seasoned presenters on TV.
The 52 year old found fame as a mousy-haired, fringeless presenter on BBC travel show Holiday and a roving reporter on long-time brekkie favourite This Morning.
Her big break came in 2004 when she presented Strictly Come Dancing’s It Takes Two show, which she did for six years before moving to the main show.
According to Wiki, Claudia she has been a main co-host alongside telly pal Tess Daly on the Saturday night live shows since 2014.
It has been widely reported that she’s paid about £150,000 a year to present the dance bonanza.
She’s also become a regular Radio 2 presenter, the face of Head and Shoulders shampoo and rakes in around £500,000 a year from her firm Little Owl Productions, according to The Mirror.
What does she spend her cash on? A super-luxe listed townhouse in Westminster with famous neighbours including ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair.
She’s reportedly splashed out thousands on facial treatments too, including anti-wrinkle injections, laser hair removal and jawline, cheek and tear trough filler, but not Botox.
She previously explained to The Sun why she shuns this popular tweakment: “I don’t need Botox now. Have you seen how long my fringe is? It is now almost upper-lip length, I cannot recommend it enough.”
Nick says: “Claudia is one of the longest-serving TV stars in Britain and looks absolutely fabulous for it.
“She’s an entertaining presenter to watch with her quick wit and quirky style, and with The Traitors being the biggest ratings winner for the BBC in years, the Strictly co-host fronts the two top TV shows in the UK.
“She’s just branched into the world of CBD gummies with her own business Cannaray, which will only get bigger as CBD booms here in Britain.
“Claudia feels like your best friend and a cheeky guest you’d want at every dinner party.
“There’s a rumour that she’s going to host her own BBC One chat show soon so she’s set to add to her savings pot in the next year.”
Holly Willoughby – £12 million
She may have stepped down from breakfast telly after 14 years but Holly still has a very healthy paycheck and a West London mansion worth £3 million.
She’s reportedly paid £200,000 to front Dancing on Ice, which this year features S Club singer Hannah Spearritt, Love Island’s Amber Davies and former boxer Ricky Hatton (who floored poor Stephen during the opening show!).
Holly’s net worth is thought to scratch over £12 million thanks to her former £700,000-a-year This Morning gig, £50,000 parenting book deals and a seven-figure deal with M&S clothing.
The star earned £23,000 a day to stand in for Ant McPartlin on I’m a Celeb in 2018 and another £150,000 per series of Celebrity Juice.
She also runs her own lifestyle brand called Wylde Moon and runs a £3 million production company, Roxy Media, with husband Dan Baldwin.
So what does a £12 million net worth buy you?
Summer holidays in her exclusive Portuguese bolthole, parties with the Spice Girls, fresh cuts by celebrity stylist Ciler Peksah and afternoon tea with Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.
Nick says: “Holly has the likeability factor and even after leaving This Morning, she is reigning supreme with Dancing On Ice and her brand Wylde Moon.
“She has created a brand that has legions of fans and earns her millions and transitioned from daytime likeability to prime time ice queen.
“I can see her having her own chat show and so much more in 2024. Brands love her but its her own brand that is making the money and she’s fast becoming the Gywneth Paltrow of UK TV.”