Holly Willoughby’s return to ITV show revealed following Celebrity Bear Hunt ‘axe’

You Bet she’s making a comeback!

After reports that Holly Willoughby’s TV show Celebrity Bear Hunt has been axed after just one series, ITV has shared good news for fans of the star.

The Netflix show premiered earlier this year and followed 12 celebrities as they attempted to survive in the Costa Rican wilderness while avoiding being caught by survival expert Bear Grylls.

But earlier this week it was claimed that the show had been axed by Netflix due to the amount of money it costs to make. It left Holly without a presenting role for the first time in decade. However, she has now been thrown a lifeline by ITV…

The show debuted earlier this year (Credit: Netflix)

Celebrity Bear Hunt ‘axed’ after just one series

Celebrity Bear Hunt’s first series was met with praise by some viewers when it was released on the streaming service in February 2025. Celebrities including Shirley Ballas, Una Healy, Danny Cipriani and Mel B took part in the gruelling competition – which was eventually won by TV star and chef Big Zuu.

However, fans hoping for a second series will be disappointed, as it’s been reported that Celebrity Bear Hunt has been axed.

“Everyone was very proud of the show. But when it came to it, it was just so expensive to make,” a source alleged to MailOnline. They added: “You had to have a whole set in Costa Rica, loads of staff and loads of celebrities. The overheads were eye-watering.”

Apparently cheaper locations were looked at by makers of the show, however, nothing was deemed suitable. ED! has contacted Netflix for comment.

Fans ‘disappointed’ by Holly’s show ‘getting axed’

Reacting to Celebrity Bear Hunt being axed, fans shared their disappointment online.

On X, one person said: “I enjoyed that show as well, typical.” Someone else proclaimed: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.” A third person also chimed in: “Disappointing, I loved it.”

Another fan penned: “Aww, this was quite fun. And presumably the least effort Holly Willoughby ever needed to put into a presenting job.”

Holly’s fans are not impressed (Credit: ITV)

Career blows

The reported axe of Celebrity Bear Hunt comes after it was announced that Holly’s other show, Dancing On Ice, had been axed.

The last series of the show – which saw Coronation Street’s Sam Aston crowned champion – faced dwindling viewing figures throughout its 2025 run.

Ahead of the axe, a source said: “It’s had a good run for nearly 20 years and has a very loyal set of viewers who really love it. But the sad truth is there’s just not enough of them. We need bums on seats but the ratings have dropped to a point where it’s difficult to justify the cost.”

Holly exits You Bet! as Stephen Mulhern ‘gutted’

Last year, Holly and Stephen Mulhern teamed up to host the relaunch of ITV’s You Bet!. However, it was recently revealed that Holly had decided to ditch the show, leaving Stephen to host it alone.

He recently revealed: “I’m gutted she’s not doing You Bet! with me, but I’ve had time to think about it and Bruce Forsyth was the first person to do You Bet! and he did it on his own.

“Maybe it happened for a reason. We’ve filmed one episode already without Holly, and it felt very comfortable. Maybe it is just a one-presenter show. She just said: ‘Look, sorry, I can’t do it.’ She told me face to face. She said: ‘Look, I’m gutted but it’s all over.’”

However, ITV has announced today that it isn’t actually over…

Holly returns to You Bet!

You Bet! is coming back as You Bet! On Tour. Stephen will host and, today (June 4), it’s been announced Holly will be one of the guest panelists.

The press release stated: “For this series, the iconic show is heading out of the studio as each episode sees a panel of celebrities including Holly Willoughby, Zoe Ball, Rob Beckett, Alex Brooker, Rylan Clark, Alesha Dixon, Alison Hammond, Babatunde Aléshé, Josie Gibson, Danny Jones, Eddie Kadi, Judi Love, Oti Mabuse, Nick Mohammed, AJ Odudu, Will Best, Greg Rutherford, Adam and Ryan Thomas, Johnny Vegas and Josh Widdicombe join Stephen at a different location across the UK.”

Stephen commented: “I’m absolutely thrilled that You Bet! is back – and this time we’re hitting the road! Each week I’ll be joined by a top celeb panel, as our challengers take on some brilliantly bonkers and amazing challenges. With the title of You Bet Champion on the line, it’s going to be unbelievable from the start.”