BEAR Grylls has heaped praise on his Netflix co-star Holly Willoughby after a hellish time that saw her at the victim of a kidnap plot.
Today, the pair’s huge new show Celebrity Bear Hunt launches globally on the streaming platform, and Bear appeared on Good Morning Britain to talk about it.
Holly made Celebrity Bear Hunt in Costa Rica[/caption]
Holly said she felt safer in the jungle than at home after kidnap plot[/caption]
He was inevitably asked about TV queen Holly and couldn’t have been more effusive in his praise.
Bear said: “Holly has a beautiful spirit, she’s overcome many tough things in her life. All of us are out of our comfort zone.
“The jungle challenges us and builds us up. I came away at the end thinking remarkable lady, humble brave, often talks herself down.”
For her part, Holly said she felt safer in the narco state of Costa Rica while filming the show than she did in the UK following the plot to kill her.
She said of Bear on Instagram this morning: “It was an absolute pleasure, thank you for having me on board… so much to take home from this show… the jungle is a teacher but ultimately so is Bear! My new mantra… Be More Bear!”
They made Celebrity Bear Hunt in the Central American country where the number of drug-related killings, hijackings and other crimes are sky high.
But Holly said she found it an escape after the whirlwind of attention around her at the time following her departure from This Morning in October 2023 when she learned about 37-year-old security guard Gavin Plumb’s horrific plot.
Holly, 43, said: “It was just quite nice to be immersed in that and being away from everything, being that much in the jungle, in nature, where your phone doesn’t work and being disconnected from stuff.
“And actually, in some ways, it felt safer being there than it did being back here.”
The eight-part Netflix series features 12 famous faces — including Mel B, Lottie Moss, Una Healy, Boris Becker and Shirley Ballas — who have to evade capture by survival expert Bear.
Holly added: “I was standing next to Bear Grylls, I felt totally safe. It doesn’t get much safer. I’m like, ‘Don’t tell me (about the dangers here) please don’t tell me’.”
Speaking about Plumb, who was jailed for life with a 16-year minimum term last year, Holly said: “When something like that happens, you have a decision to make.
“You either decide, ‘Right, I can take this on board and it can absolutely affect all aspects of my life’. Or I can make a choice to go, ‘Let’s focus on everything that’s positive and good’.”
She also said that signing up for Celebrity Bear Hunt felt like the start of a new chapter for her.
The telly favourite added: “I’d just got to that stage in my life where I thought, ‘I want to try something new’. I was nervous about it, because it was a real departure from what I normally do.
“Everything you do and everything that feels new always feels like a new chapter.”
It is also the first time she has presented solo for some time.
But she said: “Really, I never feel like I’m on my own, because you’re either talking to the camera, which feels like you’re talking to someone, or you’re with the celebrities like I am on this.
“I always try to find a connection somewhere.”
Timeline of kidnap and kill plot case
By Sam Creed
THIS is how the Holly kidnap case unfolded:
OCTOBER 5 2023: The Sun reveals the plot, and that Holly has pulled out of This Morning and is under police guard.
OCTOBER 6 2023: The suspect is named as security guard Gavin Plumb, who is charged with soliciting to commit kidnap and murder.
NOVEMBER 3 2023: Plumb denies both charges in court and is remanded in custody.
NOVEMBER 17 2023: Plumb is refused bail and returns to custody.
JANUARY 14 2024: Holly returns as Dancing on Ice presenter on ITV.
FEBRUARY 16 2024: ITV announces that Cat Deeley and Ben Shepherd will be the new main This Morning hosts.
JUNE 24 2024: The court hears Plumb planned to kidnap, rape and murder Holly to fulfil his “ultimate fantasy”.
JUNE 28 2024: In arrest footage shown in court, Plumb admitted that Holly was “a fantasy”.
JULY 4 2024: Plumb is found guilty by a jury of plotting to rape, kidnap, and murder the presenter.
JULY 12 2024: He is jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years.
JULY 31 2024: Plumb’s bid to appeal against his conviction is confirmed.
