Holly Willoughby

JAKE Humphrey candidly revealed how fellow kids TV presenter Holly Willoughby robbed him of his “big moment” in a new interview with Davina McCall — only for the clip to mysteriously disappear.

During an emotional chat with Davina’s Begin Again podcast, Jake, 47, opened up about his childhood bullying trauma, his relationship with his grandfather and a brutal rejection from BBC Sport earlier in his career.

He also spoke about his friendship and working partnership on CBBC with Holly. The pair were popular with young viewers in the early 2000s and presented CBBC’s coverage of talent show Fame Academy.

Jake revealed the pair’s chemistry was so good that channel bosses proposed they have their own show which they would have complete creative control over.

A delighted Jake saw it as his “big moment” and couldn’t wait to get planning, but his dreams disappeared the following day when Holly tentatively called him and said she wanted to pursue a presenting career with ITV.

Jake said the blow taught him a valuable lesson about the industry and not relying on others to share your vision.

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The clip was published on the Begin Again TikTok and Instagram accounts before seemingly being pulled and edited out of the podcast.

The Sun has contacted a representative for Begin Again for comment.

BT Sport presenter Jake recently shared a series of Fame Academy throwback images referencing the pair’s time on-screen.

He previously revealed the pair were so close they even shared a bed together.

In an unearthed interview from 2012, Jake told The Mirror that while he and Holly were working on Celebrity Fame Academy, she would stay at his flat in London as she was based in Brighton.

Jake recalled: “Eventually, it got to the point where we couldn’t be bothered to get the blow-up bed out so for about six months we slept in the same bed.”

Jake stressed that “nothing ever happened” romantically between him and Holly, but joked that may have been a different story if he hadn’t been dating.

Jake teased: “I wouldn’t want to say I met my wife too early but I would just say Holly’s worst habit is she sleeps naked – joking, of course.

“Holly’s a good mate but I look back on my time with her and wonder what might have been but I was going out with Harriet at the time and she lived in Leeds.”

Holly’s career in the spotlight began when she was scouted by a model agency at the Clothes Show Live aged just 14.

She then broke into television presenting, hosting shows on CBBC, before landing a job with its telly rival CITV.

That springboarded her career towards This Morning, which she signed for in 2009, and she worked on the ITV daytime show up until last year.

Holly has now swapped terrestrial TV for her own YouTube show, Together, which is produced by husband Dan’s Hungry Bear Media and currently has over 26,000 subscribers.

Former Gladiators star ‘Giant’ has accused the show of exploiting its power over performers and accused Holly Willoughby’s TV producer husband Dan Baldwin, 51, of double standards

Jamie Bigg, better known as Giant on the hit TV show Gladiators, has opened up about his biggest battle behind the scenes on the BBC show.

After Jamie separated from his wife, Katie Christian, late last year he began a relationship with OnlyFans model Taylor Ryan, 28. The pair first met at a Gladiators Live event in Sheffield. Taylor, from Exeter, Devon, was there as she was a fan of the show.

The pair began dating and their romance was so serious that in April Jamie, then 40, quit the programme after he was ordered to dump Taylor or lose his job. TV bosses reportedly said Taylor’s role as an online adult content creator conflicted with the show’s family-friendly image.

Jamie said at the time: “I had to choose between dating Taylor and keeping my job.”

The 6ft 5in Gladiator has now accused Holly Willoughby’s TV producer husband Dan Baldwin, 51, of double standards for interviewing adult star Lily Phillips on his wife’s new YouTube show.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Jamie, now 41, said the Lily interview left a bad taste in the mouth and said his exit “f***ing sucked” after insisting Dan had promised him a future on the show.

He said: “For the person who deleted or helped delete me, for his wife to do that interview, it just seemed too close to home to be comfortable with it.”

Dad-of-two Jamie said Dan allegedly told him “you’re definitely in the next series. Giant’s a huge character. We can’t imagine season four without Giant”. But when he refused to end his relationship, he was axed from the show.

Jamie is critical of the lack of duty of care shown to him, claiming the show completely washed its hands of him.

He told The Sun: “They did try and delete me from the past, present and future with no duty of care for my mental health or the ADHD or the divorce or the getting older, which I thought was very, very harsh.”

Jamie described himself as a “pawn in their game” and accused the show of exploiting its power over performers.

Dan’s media firm Hungry Bear produces Gladiators and Holly’s Together show has been approached for comment by The Mirror but at the time of publication have not responded.

Jamie is now working as a motivational speaker and wants to use his experience as a bodybuilder and former Gladiator to inspire and help people overcome adversity in their own lives. He is represented by Champions Speakers for bookings.

The Mirror has also contacted the BBC for comment.

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ANT McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have taken a surprise swipe at former This Morning presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield – four years after the infamous “queue gate.”

Phillip and Holly received a slew of backlash back in September 2022 over claims they “skipped the queue” to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth, who was lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.

The pair broke their silence on the scandal on This Morning and viewers were left furious by their “pathetic excuses.”

Now, four years on from the controversy, Ant and Dec have made a very cheeky comment about their conduct.

The telly duo were chatting about going to see the Bayeux tapestry – which depicts the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 – at the British museum.

Dec said on their podcast Hanging Out: “It’s the first time in nearly 1,000 years, it’s been in the UK. You’ve got to go and see it.”

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They both agreed to visit the museum together but believed it was going to be very busy.

Ant asked listeners: “If anyone from the British Museum is watching this podcast in their downtime… I’d like to jump the queue.”

Appearing to take aim at Holly and Phillip, Dec laughed: “I’m not sure about TV presenters skipping queues.

“I don’t think that’s going to end well.”

Ant continued: “What could possibly go wrong? It’s just scuttle down the side, pop in the front.”

Dec added sarcastically: “Do you think that’s the end? Nobody’s gonna say anything about it.”

TV star Ant then asked Dec if he wanted to skip the queue with him but the latter was adamant that’s something he’d have to do alone.

In 2023, Phillip told The Sun of the impact “queue gate” had on him and Holly.

He said: “I don’t ever throw anyone under the bus, but I have a very good instinct for these things and I knew it was a bad thing to do.

“We were texting each other backwards and forwards afterwards. I said to Holly ‘I knew I should have gone with my gut,’ and she said ‘I know.’

“But we were shell-shocked, the both of us, completely shell-shocked by the reaction.

“What are the two things you don’t screw up? The Queen and a queue.”

Phillip continued: “So we are forever now [associated]… it doesn’t matter now because I’m not going to go out any more … but forever now, you go to the butchers and someone says, ‘Oh do you want to [skip ahead]…?’ ‘No, no, I’ll stand here.’ I’m serious.”

Many celebs including David Beckham, Susanna Reid and Sharon Osbourne were seen standing in the long queue to see the Queen.

At the time, This Morning shared a statement on their official Instagram account, it read: “Hello everyone, we would like to clarify something. We asked Phillip and Holly to be part of a film for this Tuesday’s programme.

“They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event.”