Holly Willoughby is the woman who makes the nation want to shop without fail, week in, week out. But for her latest outfit on Dancing on Ice, the presenter conjured up a look that even the most die-hard fans might find difficult to replicate IRL.
For Sunday's show - which had a 'movie night' theme - Willoughby transformed into Glinda, Ariana Grande's character in the box-office smash hit Wicked (Stephen Mulhern, her co-host, gladly stepped into the shoes of Elphaba). Designed by Studio Kiki, her strapless gown was the definition of big dress energy, with a plunging sweetheart neckline and a skirt of organza tiers. Complete with a tiara and a pair of shoes by Sophia Webster, it was quite the fairytale get-up.
The comments underneath her post were largely rapturous with praise. Nicole Appleton summed it up in one word: 'Brilliant!! 💖' 'You looked like a princess!!! Elphaba looked amazing too 🤣💚🩷,' said one user, while another commented, 'Oh my goddess 😍 You make the most gorgeous Glinda! ✨💜✨.' There were a few dissenters, however, who appeared to take umbrage with both the theme - 'Looked more Halloween' - and the gown's neckline. 'Holly, as this is a FAMILY show, have you considered not wearing such low cut dresses every week,' said one user, capitalising the key word for emphasis.
While Willoughby is partial to what this user rather scathingly refers to as 'low cut dresses' - Dancing on Ice's first episode featured an ice blue strapless gown by Suzanne Neville - surely it doesn't get much more 'family' than a dress that closely resembles a pink cupcake, complete with a magic wand? And besides, regardless of what show they're hosting, TV presenters shouldn't be policed, surely, for what they choose to wear in 2025. If Willoughby didn't serve her particular brand of glitz and glamour, after all, people would definitely have something to say about it. And if that happens to involve a strapless gown and the merest hint of cleavage, so be it.
Natalie Hammond is senior fashion news editor at Grazia. She previously worked at The Times - and has written for publications including The Telegraph, The Financial Times and gal-dem. She loves a ludicrously capacious bag (sorry, Tom!) and has never met a pair of clogs she wouldn’t wear. Find her on Instagram.