15 April 2024 , 22:49
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Holly Willoughby is jetting off to Costa Rica for her upcoming presenting stint in Netflix's Bear Hunt and the streaming giant is leaving her safety in the hands of experts.
The former This Morning host is making her first major move since she left the breakfast program in October, last year, as she's due to present the show with Bear Grylls, with the pair going abroad with a string of at least ten other celebrities.
With Costa Rica experiencing a murder rate jump to 17.2 per 100,000 people in 2023 from 11.7 in 2018, according to Reuters, Netflix bosses are taking no chances as the platform is said to be "investing huge sums" to guarantee the success of its next project but the priority remains keeping the 43-year-old - and the rest of the cast members - safe from harm.
Holly is taking on a new presenting role in Bear Hunt and no room is being left for risk when it comes to her safety (Dave Benett/Getty Images Garnier)
Holly will be flying to Costa Rica with Bear Grylls and at least 10 other celebrities for the Netflix show, which has been compared to I'm A CelebrityEx-special forces and former military guns for hire have thus been hired for the job and another £1 million will also be spent on security in the jungle. "Netflix are investing huge sums in creating a show which can rival ITV’s I’m a Celebrity, by bagging big names and choosing a tropical location", an insider at Netflix told The Sun. "But keeping Holly and everyone fully protected in Costa Rica is the priority."
They added: "That means hiring specialist teams of guards, many of whom will be ex-military and special forces experts. They’ll also need specialist vehicles, safe accommodation and a secure location in which to film."
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A feat the source recognised wouldn't be cheap or easy "in a country which has a very luxurious tourist trade combined with a dangerous underbelly." The Bear Hunt cast will reportedly fly out later this month and filming is set to take place through May, just in time for the finished program to air in January, 2025.
Holly's return to the spotlight comes after finding out she'd been the target of an attempted murder plot in October, 2023. Terrified for her safety and the safety of her family, the discovery led her to take time off from her hosting duties.
Gavin Plumb, 36, was arrested by Essex Police when his alleged plot was discovered with Holly being made aware of the arrest moments before she was due on the air for This Morning. The home she shares with husband Daniel Baldwin and her three children, Harry, Belle and Chester, was also guarded by police officers.
Following a three-month break from the limelight, Holly returned in January, 2024, with an appearance on Dancing on Ice, welcoming Stephen Mulhern who was appointed a fellow permanent host for the show. Rumours of her return for the 2025 edition of the program have since emerged with one source claiming: "Contracts are being negotiated but the chiefs love her and they know that there are others who would love to sign her up but ITV love her and they want to keep her very much part of the ITV furniture for years to come."