Holly Willoughby faced fresh pressure as rumors grew that she could join Strictly Come Dance as host after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced their departures.
As the buzz grew, insiders said Holly was feeling stressed and turning to her close friends for support.
A source shared that her friends have helped her through many difficult times over the past few years and are by her side again.
The Strictly buzz became heavy for her and she found it difficult to deal with at times. However, her friends encouraged her to stay strong and reminded her that this could turn into something good.
Leigh Francis, who knew her from her Celebrity Juice days, cheered her up by sending her a funny and caring voice note. She kept it on her phone because it made her smile.
Emma Bunton, the Appleton sisters and Christine Lampard also came to comfort her.
The insider explained that Holly relies on her husband Dan Baldwin and children Harry, Belle and Chester.
They helped her through what she calls dark and difficult times. She has faced many difficulties in recent years, as her friendship with Phillip Schofield ended after her affair became public.
Just months later, the reality star walked away from This Morning after becoming the target of a chilling kidnap and murder plot.
She also lost long-running shows and faced public criticism.
With her Strictly role now up in the air, Holly recently said she is enjoying watching the show from home.
Insiders said she appeared calm on screen but often felt alone and vulnerable behind the scenes.
Despite this, Holly wanted the year ahead to bring a fresh start and believed she could rise to the challenge, explaining that she often did her best when the pressure was the highest.
