Holly Willoughby admits to being 'riddled' with guilt after missing her children's first day at school

Holly Willoughby has opened up about being “riddled with guilt” over missing her two eldest children’s first days of school due to work commitments.

In an interview with Red magazine, the This Morning presenter, 39, admitted that it’s challenging juggling her busy TV career with being a mother to three children.

Holly is mum to children Harry, 11, Belle, nine, and Chester, five, who she shares with husband Dan Baldwin.

"Becoming a mum was the only thing I knew I definitely wanted when I was growing up, but the image I had never involved me being a working mum. That’s the biggest challenge.

“I’ve been riddled with guilt about getting that part wrong. You love them so much and you don’t want to mess them up.”

Read more: Holly Willoughby wears summer-ready yellow Ghost dress - and it's still available to buy

Holly said she hadn't been able to take her children to school thanks to her job on morning TV, saying: “I didn’t do the drop-off because I was working.

“I hate that I wasn’t there because those memories you can’t get back.

She went on to say that she’s realised the only way she can combat those feelings is “to accept that sometimes I don’t get it right – and that's fine.”

Holly added that she's “lucky” she’s able to greet her kids after school and be there on weekends.

The presenter also discussed how she’s feeling about turning 40 next year.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” she told the publication. “My 30s have been all about the kids – bringing them up, keeping all these balls afloat – but now they're getting older, there's a bit more space where I can start focusing on things that are happening for me.

“I see my 40s as a chance to find myself again and figure out who I am.”

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While she may seem confident on screen, the This Morning star explained that wasn’t always the case.

“Looking back on my career, I realise that I’ve only got to this point by putting myself in uncomfortable positions,” she said.

“I was always very shy and I never really had the confidence to speak up for myself when I was younger.”

Having started modelling in her teens, the presenter admitted she had to push herself to find her inner confidence.

“I felt so uncomfortable, but I didn’t give up – I pushed myself to keep going, to find that confidence. And I owe my TV career to that,” she added.

The mum-of-three also discussed how she developed her own sense of style, despite it not coming naturally to her.

“For a long time, I was pretty clueless,” she told Red. “There’s a picture of me on the red carpet when I first started in TV and I’m wearing a brown belted cord skirt, a brown cord jacket, fishnet tights and a weird round toe shoe. What was I thinking?”

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But star admits she’s learnt to love clothes as she’s got older and recognised the importance of style staples.

“Once you have those – a good pair of dark denim jeans (I like high-waisted), a classic shirt or a T-shirt to team them with, and a button-up dress that you can throw a leather jacket over or put a rollneck jumper under – the hard work is done for you.”

Holly’s timeless sartorial prowess has remained in tact during lockdown with UK shopping searches for her outfits actually doubling.

LovetheSales.com has tracked each outfit Holly has worn on This Morning during lockdown and demand for her fashion has doubled since March.

On average, Holly's lockdown looks increase fashion searches online by 65% for the week following each outfit’s TV appearance.

“It’s no surprise that Holly's timeless and accessible style has made her the most influential fashion icon of lockdown,” says stylist Jessie Stein.

“The brands she chooses to wear on TV every weekday benefit from the ‘Holly Effect’ as she shares shots of her outfit in her daily dressing room on Instagram and are seen by her 7 million strong following, often leading to items selling out.

Ghost, Whistles and Sandro Paris are a few of Holly's most worn brands and are perfect for the upcoming summer season.”

Read the full Holly Willoughby interview in the July issue of Red, on sale the 4th June. It is available in all supermarkets and online at MagsDirect.