Comedian and former Dancing On Ice contestant Matt Richardson has revealed a secret tense exchange he had with Holly Willoughby, claiming she made it clear she ‘doesn’t like him’.
Matt, 34, took part in the now-axed ITV skating series in 2021 and was the third star to be eliminated.
But he’s also known for his stand-up work, appearances on some of the most popular panel shows, and, most recently, his refreshingly honest TikTok series, in which he spills the beans on the industry.
In one of his latest videos, Matt, who has previously spoken candidly about everything from how much he earns to struggles getting work, responded to a fan who asked who in showbiz has ‘disliked him most’.
He began his tale: ‘Holly Willoughby doesn’t like me, I don’t think.
‘Many years ago, we’re talking, like, 2014, I did a run-through in an office; they were developing a new panel show called Reality Bites, and I was maybe gonna be a team captain. I wasn’t in the end; Joel Dommett was.
‘When they were first developing it, often what happens is you do run-throughs of the show in an office. So, we’re doing run-throughs, and one of the other people on it is Nicole Appleton.’
Matt went on to say that he had already met the All Saints singer when she was a guest judge on The X Factor at Judges’ Houses with Sinitta and Shane Filan. At the time, Matt was co-hosting The Xtra Factor with Caroline Flack.
‘In this panel show setting, the host, Stephen Mulhern, asked, “Why were there three of you on that?”
‘And I said, “Because the three of those added together is one real celebrity.”
‘Now, it got a laugh in the room; it was clearly a joke, whatever, carry on.’
Matt added that he became ‘quite friendly’ with Nicole after working together, explaining that they had ‘a few mutual friends’ and ‘used to go out drinking together sometimes.’ He also went to her house for a party.
‘We really got on over the next few years,’ he insisted, with Nicole herself telling him the joke he made on Reality Bites was ‘really funny’.
However, ‘about three or four years’ after the panel show was recorded, TV presenter Holly, 45, ‘came up to him’ at an event. The former This Morning host is also pals with Nicole and very much considers her part of her inner circle, which also includes Emma Bunton.
He alleges that she pointed at him and said, ‘I’ve got a problem with you.’
Matt learned that Holly had been in the room during the run-through since her husband, Dan Baldwin, was making the show with his production company.
‘And I was like, “OK”,’ he recounted. ‘And she was like, “On that panel show run-through … you made a joke about Nicole, and it was f***ing unacceptable, how dare you”.’
Nicole herself was standing beside Matt during the tense exchange, so he turned to her and asked: ‘Did [the joke] offend you?’
‘And she went, “No, it was funny. It’s fine, I got it. It’s not a problem.” And [Holly] was like, “Yeah, but still…”‘
She allegedly proceeded to ‘have a real go’ at him, which he found ‘really weird’, essentially being ‘told off’ by her in the middle of a members’ club.
‘And then I didn’t really see her again until I did Dancing On Ice, and then we barely spoke, obviously, because it was Covid, I was training, you don’t really speak to [the hosts], and I don’t know if she speaks to anyone.’
Unsure what Holly makes of him now, he concluded: ‘She might still think I’m a t**t, but I don’t know.’
Matt’s video generated over 200,000 views, with comments flooding in from viewers taking sides.
‘Why are people acting like this makes her a bad person? She thought she was defending her friend. She may have been mistaken but that doesn’t make you a bad person,’ commented @.mintchocchip.
Matt replied, clarifying that he wasn’t out to attack Holly: ‘Yeah I wasn’t calling her an a*****e at all, I was just saying she doesn’t like me 😂’
‘Had no idea Nicole Appleton was so sound 🥰’, @emmurfellur wrote, to which Matt declared: ‘She is!’
He also responded to a comment with three laughing faces, which said it’s a ‘hell of a flex’ to be able to claim Holly Willoughby ‘doesn’t like you’.
Holly keeps a lower profile these days, bidding a ‘difficult goodbye’ to This Morning in October 2023 after Phillip Schofield’s exit and the uncovering of a terrifying kidnap and murder plot against her.
It’s been reported in recent months that she’s planning to stage a comeback, either with her own talk show or a YouTube channel, after her last remaining shows – Celebrity Bear Hunt on Netflix and You Bet! On Tour with Stephen – were taken off-air.
Holly has not addressed the rumours herself, but continues to rake it in with her wellness brand, Wylde Moon, which is said to be worth £10million.
Reps for Holly Willoughby have been contacted for comment.
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