Former This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby is reportedly the frontrunner to host a BBC reboot of the show Gladiators.
It's hoped that Holly, who quit This Morning last month following an alleged kidnapping threat, could be the new face of the show.
The original 1990s version on ITV was famously co-hosted by TV icon Ulrika Jonsson, 56, on ITV from 1992 to 2000.
It would see Holly, 42, present alongside the current hosts Bradley Walsh, 63, and son Barney, 35, for a second series due to be filmed next summer.
A TV insider told The Sun: “The BBC loves Brad and Barney, but it’s also been proved Brad and Holly have an amazing dynamic as they featured together on the BBC show Take Off.
"Since Holly’s departure from This Morning, lots of channels and broadcasters have been thinking about what she could bring to their shows.
"And as she’s such a big star, she’s a natural fit for a huge entertainment show, which the reboot of Gladiators unquestionably is.”
The first season of the reboot has already been filmed and is due to air in January.
The source also claimed that the BBC is interested in ‘kicking off talks’ with Holly, with the TV star an ‘obvious choice to become the new Ulrika.’
This Morning contacted Holly's representative for comment.
It comes as the Daily Mail reported how Holly ‘narrowly missed out on hosting the BBC reboot of Survivor.’
The publication reports that the BBC has been keen for some time now to swoop in on Holly and make her a face of the corporation.
It comes as Holly’s presenting future remains uncertain after she quit her role on This Morning after 14 years, telling fans that she wanted to ‘put her family first.’
The star has reportedly been given a huge pay rise to stay on the show after co-host Phil stepped down in May after admitting to lying about his affair with a younger colleague.
Despite this, Holly still quit the show after an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her was foiled by police.
The Mail reports how Holly’s ‘family-friendly image and bubbly personality’ would be a perfect match for BBC productions.
Her TV producer husband Dan Baldwin also reportedly had a strong tie to the corporation, with his company Hungry Bear producing the forthcoming Gladiators revival.
He is also behind the Michael McIntyre's Big Show, which launched on the channel since 2015, and The Wheel, which launched in 2020.
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