Holly Willoughby’s new YouTube show has been called an “empty gush fest” in a series of largely unimpressed reviews.
The former This Morning presenter, 45, has pivoted to hosting an online lifestyle channel called Together, which premiered on July 28.
The first episode, which featured Willoughby cooking with Hollywood actor Stanley Tucci, was compared to Meghan Markle’s Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, and criticised for its 50-minute run time.
The Telegraph gave the show one star out of five and wrote: “With Love, Meghan is a masterpiece compared to this borefest – the Duchess of Sussex a veritable Anthony Bourdain.
“Together – or to give the lifestyle show its full title, complete with the sponsor’s name, Holly Willoughby Together with Voy – aims to harness the popularity of Willoughby’s years as co-host of ITV’s This Morning, but instead makes it clear that she is a presenter who works best with a tight script and an autocue.”
In calling the show “an empty gush fest”, The Times awarded the show two stars and criticised Willoughby’s presenting style.
The paper wrote: “Willoughby still fell into the trap that so many female TV presenters do — she gushed too much. ‘You’re amazing,’ she told Tucci. ‘No, you’re amazing,’ he replied.
“All right, all right, we get it. I think it will have to become edgier than this to make its mark in a very crowded field.”
The Guardian gave Together three stars and said it “comes off as an aggressive audition for whether Willoughby is allowed to be famous again”.
In assessing its positive qualities, they added: “The best moments come when she stops trying to violently rebrand herself and just allows herself to be quick, funny and endearingly nervous about her new venture.”
The Mirror also awarded the show three stars and said it has potential to improve.
The review said: “There is some interaction from the crew which includes Holly’s husband Dan and that helps the show feel organic and not too stuffy, and one suspects when everyone grows in confidence, it might feel a little more lively.”
In a more negative review, The i paper said Willoughby may struggle to build an audience on YouTube, which depends on a “highly engaged fanbase” that she “never built”.
The review wrote: “The public either wants honest, unfiltered imperfection or glamour and something to aspire to. Willoughby still hasn’t decided which she wants to be.
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“Together is proof that her superpower was always her ability to be professional, not a personality.”
Willoughby fronted ITV’s This Morning for 14 years but stepped down in 2023, months after her co-host Phillip Schofield left after admitting to an “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a young male colleague.
Holly Willoughby Together will release two episodes per week and is available on YouTube, streaming platforms and across social media.
