Holly Willoughby emphasizes the importance of being present and detached from external expectations for personal growth.
Holly Willoughby values the unwavering support and genuine friendship she shares with Philip Schofield in their career journeys.
Holly Willoughby reflects on her journey of stepping out of her comfort zone, embracing her individuality, and finding fulfillment.
Deep dives
Failure to live in the present
Holly Willoughby discusses her struggle to live in the present and the challenges of detaching herself from her own thoughts and feelings. She admits to often distracting herself with work and believes that being instinctive and focused on the present moment is difficult but necessary for personal growth.
Importance of friendship with Philip Schofield
Holly Willoughby reflects on her friendship with Philip Schofield and highlights his unwavering support throughout her career. Their shared sense of humor and ability to make each other laugh has created a genuine bond. Despite spending so much time together, they continue to enjoy each other's company and maintain a close friendship.
Struggle to embrace individuality
Holly Willoughby discusses her tendency to conform and maintain a safe and familiar image. She admits that in her early years, she felt the need to blend in and be part of a group, avoiding controversy and staying within expectations. However, she acknowledges that stepping out of her comfort zone and embracing her individuality has brought personal growth and a sense of fulfillment.
The Power of Trusting Your Instincts
Trusting one's instincts is important, even in the face of external pressure. The speaker shares a personal story from their younger years when they were a model and faced criticism about their weight. Despite pressure to conform, they realized that changing themselves to fit an industry's standards was not the right path. This experience taught them to trust their instincts and make decisions that align with their authentic self.
Overcoming Fear and Embracing Failure
The speaker discusses their journey to overcoming fear and embracing failure. They recount moments in their career where they felt scared, but eventually realized the power of being true to themselves. Stepping away from strictly following scripts and embracing authenticity allowed them to connect with their audience and find success. They emphasize that failures and mistakes should be seen as human moments of connection and learning, enabling personal growth and the ability to take more risks in the future.
Oh what a truly lovely bonus episode I have for you today! I'm so delighted that I get to welcome the one and only Holly Willoughby onto the podcast. As the co-presenter of ITV's This Morning, she is a combination of daytime TV icon, national best friend and highly infectious giggler (if you need a boost, just YouTube this). But she's also now a BESTSELLING AUTHOR - her book Reflections was published last week and swiftly shot to the number one slot on Amazon. And she recently launched her own lifestyle and wellness platform, Wylde Moon.
Holly joins me to talk about her failure to be present, her failure to to live by her own set of beliefs and falling into the trap of meeting other people's expectations and her failure 'to be an individual'. Along the way we discuss fame, body image and 'repackaging jealousy as possibility' (I know! It's a quote from her book! So good!). It's such a wonderful, open-hearted conversation and I'm so grateful to Holly for sharing her beautiful vulnerability with me.
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You can buy Reflections by Holly Willoughby here
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My new novel, Magpie, is out now. You can order it here.
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How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted by Elizabeth Day, produced by Naomi Mantin and Chris Sharp. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com