Dancing On Ice bosses negotiate with Holly Willoughby amid Stephen Mulhern confirmation

Dancing On Ice producers are making efforts to bring Holly Willoughby out of her TV hiatus, offering the former This Morning star a lucrative deal to co-host the show.

They are keen on having Holly, 42, make a grand return to television alongside her close friend Stephen Mulhern, 46, who has been confirmed as a presenter but not as a sole host for the series.

In October, the mother-of-three stepped back from all hosting duties due to a disturbing incident where a man was arrested and charged with an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her.

This led to Holly’s departure from This Morning after a 14-year tenure. Despite the traumatic experience, ITV commissioners are engaging in weeks-long discussions to entice Holly back to the small screen, considering an increased salary and strategizing on how to ensure her comfort upon returning to work.

The initiative follows the revelation that Holly has ‘paused’ her £1 million deal with Marks & Spencer, expressing ongoing concerns about her safety, which continues to affect her decisions.

A TV source told MailOnline: ‘Dancing On Ice will be presented by Stephen Mulhern and a co-host, but Holly is yet to formally agree.

‘Bosses hope that they can convince her to come back to work in the New Year because they feel that the relationship between her and Stephen is exactly what the series needs.

‘The situation is extremely sensitive due to everything that Holly has gone through in recent months and the channel is being careful not to put pressure on her decision, although they’re hoping that renegotiating her contract will help to close the deal.’

In October, Stephen confirmed to MailOnline that he was in talks to replace Phillip Schofield after the former This Morning and Dancing On Ice host was sacked by the broadcaster.

Phillip left ITV after he admitted to having an affair with a much younger This Morning colleague.

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