Holly Willoughby is one of the most in-demand television presenters, who has also launched her very own lifestyle brand. And in a new interview, the This Morning star has touched upon normalising emotion on-air as she discussed the "change" in her approach to work.
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Over the years, the TV star has landed many shows but felt like she had to hold back when it came to serious topics. She describes herself as a "natural empath" - a trait she has in common with her daughter, Belle.
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She told Grazia Magazine: "Empathy is a lovely thing. My daughter has it. She's amazing. You can put her in any situation."
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Talking about the start of her career, Holly explained: "I had to control it, in a way. Sometimes I can find myself in situations where I have really absorbed the energy of what's going on, I can feel it so much that I start to feel like it's happening to me."
When difficult topics arose on This Morning, Holly found herself in a tricky position. "I could empathise so much that the emotion would be rising up in me and I would just start crying," she added.
Holly with her daughter Belle
Viewers were soon able to communicate on social media. "People were saying, 'I'm watching this and I'm crying with you,'" she continued. "That was, yeah. If I was at home watching this, I would be crying too. What's the difference?
"We're all real people. With real emotions. I'm not going to worry about this any more. [Crying] is seen as being a weakness, as a feminine trait, and success, up until quite recently, looked more like a man than a woman. This was hard for me."
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