Holly Willoughby is making waves with her remarkable earnings from the new Netflix show, Celebrity Bear Hunt, where she reportedly bagged nearly £1 million for just 24 minutes of screen time. This staggering figure translates to about £40,000 for each minute she appeared, surprising fans who expected her to have more presence on this high-profile adventure series.
The show, which debuted earlier this week, sends Willoughby and 12 other celebrities— including Mel B, Shirley Ballas, and Boris Becker—deep within the jungles of Costa Rica. Led by the adventurous Bear Grylls, they face various challenges aimed at teaching them survival skills and avoiding capture. Interestingly, viewers soon found out they see less of Willoughby than anticipated, as she only features for about 180 seconds per episode throughout the series' eight installments, amounting to over seven hours of content.
A television insider shared this surprising insight with The Sun: "Viewers will be surprised just how little she features in the final version of the programme, considering all the attention surrounding the show. Holly is incredibly talented and popular, with decades of experience, particularly with live television, which demands high standards. But she plays second fiddle to Bear, who commands more screen time than the celebrities competing.
Despite her limited visibility on the series, Bear Grylls acknowledged Willoughby's contributions at the show’s premiere, stating, "You were such a key part of this, not just for them but for me also. You were a light and love to all of these people." This heartfelt praise suggests her presence, though limited, was pivotal for both the contestants and Grylls.
Reflecting on her own challenges during filming, Willoughby confessed on The Graham Norton Show how she felt "totally out of her comfort zone" but welcomed the adventure. "It is so nice to be doing something new and exciting, and being on a proper adventure," she remarked, highlighting the thrill of working alongside Grylls.
This show marks Willoughby’s return to television after significant time away due to personal safety concerns stemming from threats against her life. Following the anxiety of stepping back from the limelight, she expressed her relief at returning to normalcy. "I’d be an idiot if I said no. [Money’s] not the reason I make decisions," she explained to the Sunday Times about her choices to return to work. "But by definition, my work is a business. I’m not going to shy away from saying it’s my business, it’s my work. It’s also all I have known."
While viewers are taken on this wild ride through the jungle, it’s worth highlighting the emotional toll faced by contestants. Former contestant Una Healy opened up about her struggles post-filming, stating, "The noise of the gunshot when you're in The Bear Pit sends adrenaline rushing through you. You forget you have cameras on you; you're hyper-vigilant the whole time. It took me a month to readjust to normal life." Healy’s experience touches on the psychological effects of such high-stakes gameplay, showcasing the reality behind the adventure.
Despite earning high praise and scrutiny for her limited role, Holly Willoughby’s venture back to the forefront of television, alongside Bear Grylls, has rekindled public interest. Celebrity Bear Hunt not only highlights the thrill of the challenges faced by celebrities but also draws attention to the different journeys they each have on the show—both physically and emotionally.
Willoughby's staggering remuneration for such little airtime sparks conversations about the industry standards surrounding salary and screen time. It feels almost inverted; should performance and pay be so misaligned when it’s all supposed to be for show? Nevertheless, her star power continues to shine, regardless of how much time she spends on screen.