Holly Willoughby and Dan Baldwin’s fairytale marriage - from first date to kids
Holly Willoughby isn’t the only person in her family to have a successful TV career - her is also in the industry.
Doting mum Holly, 42, recently returned as the host of ITV’s Dancing on Ice alongside Stephen Mulhern, months after leaving This Morning following an incredible 14-year stint. What you might not know is that the veteran presenter has her glittering showbiz career to thank for meeting her husband, Dan Baldwin.
Dan shares three kids with Holly and is a 48-year-old TV producer. The doting dad is including Michael McIntyre's Big Show, Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad and Virtually Famous. He is also the producer behind the hit game show The Wheel and worked on Celebrity Juice, which Holly also took part in. But how did they meet and when did they finally tie the knot?
Holly Willoughby looks super loved-up as she shares rare snap of husband Dan Baldwin
Holly Willoughby isn’t the only person in her family to have a successful TV career - her husband Dan Baldwin is also in the industry (Getty Images Europe)How did Holly and Dan meet?
Dan and Holly were in the same industry before they crossed paths – with Holly in front of the camera and Dan behind it. The couple met on the CITV show Ministry of Mayhem, which first aired in 2004 before it was renamed to Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown.
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Holly recently discussed the early days of her romance – explaining the pair were just friends initially, but saw Dan in a different light after work one evening, which “took her by surprise”.
Holly shared in a video uploaded to her Wylde Moon Instagram account: "We met when I was doing Saturday morning kids telly, and he was the producer and I was the presenter. I remember I'd already been there for about eight months I think, and then he came in as our new producer, and we started this real intense friendship.
"It was mad actually, there were sort of two other guys that started at the same time, and we just became inseparable. We'd rehearse, and then we'd go out afterwards, and then we'd end up... We were filming down in Maidstone Studios and we used to stay in a hotel there.
Dan and Holly were in the same industry before they crossed paths (Internet Unknown)"And you know everybody would go to the bar and then everybody would come back into either my room or their room and we'd all sit round just talking and laughing, and I just remember it just being such a fun time. I always describe that time as sort of my university years, really.”
She added: "This must have been sort of six months of real intense friendship and I remember this one night we were in the bar and I cheersed Dan. And I remember my eye just caught him for a little bit longer than it should have done, and I looked at him, and thought, 'Oh my god, I fancy Dan Baldwin'. It took me by complete surprise, and then the rest is history."
Holly said she was pleased their romance started off as a friendship as she that gave them the tools for a really strong connection. She said: "Looking back on it now I think what I was thinking was an intense friendship was probably me falling in love.
"I think that's a really good basis for romance because we have that friendship still now and we've got three beautiful children, and we're very happy and I'm very blessed every day for having him in my life.
"But underpinning all of that is that real friendship and laughter and just having good times together. I think it's the real secret to keeping things as they are, which is lovely."
Proposal and wedding
Holly and Dan got engaged in 2006, and Holly revealed she was in the bathtub when he popped the question.
The TV star revealed to the Mirror after returning from honeymoon in 2007: "I know a lot of people almost have to force their boyfriend to propose but with Dan, it was such a shock. I knew I'd be with him for the rest of my life if he'd have me, but nothing can ever prepare you for what it's like when someone asks you.
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"I can't think of any other big decision you make in your life that quickly. Suddenly they're not just someone you're in love with, they become part of your family."
Holly and Dan tied the knot in 2007 and share three kids (hollywilloughby/Instagram)Holly and Dan tied the knot in August 2007 at St Michael's Church, in a day which Holly said was "magical" and "overwhelming".
The couple held their wedding reception at Amberley Castle, a 900-year-old castle on the South Downs in West Sussex. Holly designed her own wedding dress for her big day and her mum Linda's own wedding dress was Holly's inspiration.
"I knew I wanted it to be very vintage, lace, with long sleeves, a high neck and a beautiful, open back, as that’s what everyone sees when you walk down the aisle. Oh, and a long train…if you can’t do that on your wedding day when can you?" Holly previously said.
Family life
Dan and Holly now share three children together; Harry, 13, Belle, 11, and eight-year-old Chester. The couple tend to keep their children away from the spotlight – with Holly rarely discussing her kids and hiding their faces in social media photos.
She previously opened up about her children's hobbies and passions as she told "I'll encourage them to go in whatever direction they want. Harry’s football mad. He's as bad as his father and Belle wants to be a rainbow. She's a mix of complete tomboy and real girl. She keeps up with her brothers like you wouldn't believe but loves dressing up as a princess and thinks, 'Why wear one hairclip when I could wear all the hairclips I own in my hair?' She loves anything multi-coloured and with sparkles in it."
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