Holly Willoughby has relaunched her career with a YouTube lifestyle show, but public feedback has been poor, with critics judging Meghan Markle's Netflix show could be "more watchable" in comparison. The Duchess of Sussex was previously teased for her pursuit of "moments of joy" on camera. Entertainment journalist Stephanie Takyi described Holly's new show, Together, as "watching paint dry" on TalkTV.
Takyi said: "Holly is back but she is not back with a bang. You know, this is a very sink or swim moment for Holly Willoughby's career, and right now, she's sinking. She's no longer the nation's TV sweetheart anymore, we've seen through that. We've seen the controversy over the past few years. We want a bit of realism from Holly."
'Last shot saloon' for the former This Morning presenter
The journalist added that she could sense Holly's "nervous energy" in the first episode and believed the ex-This Morning presenter could do better. "So she's now come back, gone into this Meghan, Martha Stewart-kind of era, and so far it's not working. I think this is very much a last shot saloon for Holly Willoughby's career, but we have to give her the benefit of the doubt. It was the first episode, but if I'm honest, Mark, it was like watching paint dry. I fell asleep half way through it."
Presenter Mark Dolan, who also runs his own YouTube show, noted that many established TV stars and producers are struggling to understand YouTube and the digital space. He mentioned Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly's YouTube channel, which attracted only 200 views from a single video.
YouTube viewers are 'way more selective'
Takyi said Holly has to work hard to get viewers to like her and watch her for 50 minutes, and questioned whether the show has the longevity to keep people entertained. "With TV, we're forced to watch the likes of Holly, or Ant and Dec, because they are part of the big brands. But on YouTube, people are way more selective."
One viewer dubbed Holly "Meghan Markle 2.0", while another said: "This reminds me of Meghan Markle, it's pathetic."
Meghan's cancelled show becomes awards contender
Meghan's cancelled show has shifted from a Netflix chatshow to an awards contender. Two weeks ago, "With Love, Meghan" was announced as a 2026 Daytime Emmy nominee, and the Duchess was feeling "vindicated", according to Closer.
A source said: "Meghan is beyond excited about getting this nomination. She sees it as proof that the show struck a chord with the people that matter."
"She was crushed when the show got cancelled, so this naturally has her feeling pretty vindicated. She also feels the ratings were unfairly judged and nowhere near as bad as some people made out."
