HOLLY WILLOUGHBY’S return to our screens is being funded by a controversial health and weight-loss firm.
The presenter’s new show is called Together With Voy.
The presenter promoting her new YouTube show, Holly Willoughby Together With Voy Credit: Karis Kennedy/Holly Willoughby Together
Emma Bunton and Nicole Appleton with thick-soled shoes famously worn by the Spice Girls Credit: YouTube
But although Voy is a rapidly growing company turning over more than £100million a year, it has been rapped six times in just over two years for advertising its prescription drugs in breach of regulations.
These include medicines for weight loss and to combat hair loss.
Former host Holly, 45, is hoping the twice-weekly programme — — will revitalise her career.
She left ITV’s flagship daytime show in 2023, months after it was engulfed in a sex scandal involving her co-host .
A security guard’s sickening plot to murder her also emerged. Twisted , with a minimum term of 16 years, following a high-profile court case.
But experts warn that Holly associating with a company like Voy could now “weaken her personal brand”.
The star’s new online venture got off to a shaky start this week after fewer than 10,000 viewers tuned in live to see her chat to actor Stanley Tucci while making a pasta dish.
was only announced a week before the first episode dropped.
Holly in the studio kitchen with actor and foodie Stanley Tucci Credit: YouTube
TV star Holly dazzles on the red carpet at the 2024 National Television Awards Credit: Getty
But critics blasted it as “cringe” and an “empty gush-fest” while others compared the show to the Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix flop, With Love, Meghan.
Holly — whose last TV hosting gig was on in February 2025 — said she was inspired to launch the new online programme by her children, Harry, 17, Belle, 15, and 11-year-old Chester.
It is proving to be a real family affair, too, as the show is being produced by Hungry Bear Media — which is co-owned by her husband Dan Baldwin.
Voy’s parent company, Menwell Limited, is sponsoring the YouTube programme, though — and providing the cash to get it off the ground.
Menwell’s founder, George Pallis, 38, started the digital health and wellness firm in 2018 after leaving .
There, as director of marketing, he helped the food delivery firm grow to 20 times its size in three years.
Menwell director Antoine Nussenbaum, 45, is a private equity boss who also owns a stake in Asian food delivery giant Hungry Panda.
And another director is a San Francisco-based private equity boss.
But the company, which reported revenue of £104.4million in 2024, has form for breaching advertising rules when it comes to the prescription drugs it offers.
Since March 2024, Menwell Ltd has been ordered by the Advertising Standards Authority to change or delete three adverts.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has ordered the deletion of a further three — and other ASA investigations are ongoing.
Earlier this year, plugging Voy’s prescription-only products on — and offering their followers discounted drugs — were also found to have violated strict promotional rules.
Marketing executive Alex Williams said: “It’s astonishing that a celebrity as high-profile as has tied herself to a company that has breached advertising rules several times.
“By linking herself to a company like this, it could weaken her personal brand.
“The ASA rulings were published before the partnership between Holly and Voy was announced — so it is incredible that not a single member of her team noticed.”
Advertising prescription drugs to the public is tightly policed. On UK broadcast channels, shows are strictly regulated by , while online advertising is monitored by the ASA.
Holly is hoping the twice-weekly programme will revitalise her career Credit: Holly Willoughby Together
Former This Morning host Holly’s new show launched on Tuesday Credit: PA
However, the non-statutory body cannot issue fines or penalties to those who fail to follow legal guidelines.
Mr Williams said: “Voy isn’t unique in being in breach of the rules.
“The issue is that for some firms, the commercial benefits can often outweigh the reputational harm of a breach.
“The weight-loss industry is worth billions and online campaigns generate customers very quickly.
“But there should be stricter penalties in place to deter companies from advertising prescription-only drugs that might not be safe.”
PR consultant and media commentator Mark Borkowski said presenter Holly “needs people around her to protect her from this sort of thing”.
He explained: “The thing with YouTube is it’s not like working for a broadcaster or channel that has rigorous processes and rules around advertising.
“If Holly was still on , it’s unlikely they would have accepted this sponsor because the due diligence is totally different — the world wide web is like the wild, wild west.
“This situation says more about the difficulty of Holly’s brand, which has been very pure and well protected for years.
“But sometimes you are so focused on producing the product, you don’t look under the bonnet.
“She has got to get into the real world. She needs people around her to protect her from this sort of thing.”
And leading Dr David Garley said celebs should always take care when it comes to affiliating themselves with firms.
Holly said she was inspired to launch the new online programme by her children Credit: Holly Willoughby Together
Holly’s last TV hosting gig was on Netflix in February 2025 Credit: Getty
He told The Sun on Sunday: “Some are in a privileged position to influence people, but they need to ensure they are being responsible in doing so.
“When there are partnerships with companies, you always have to question the commercial interests behind it.”
In a statement ahead of the launch of her YouTube show, Holly said: “I’m so proud of the work all the team who make Together have put into this exciting new project.
“We’ve had a lot of fun developing it and look forward to seeing what you think.”
Future instalments will see Holly joined by more star guests including pop pals and .
Menwell founder and chief executive officer at Voy, Mr Pallis, added: “What Holly is building feels genuinely aligned with what we believe at Voy — that better health should feel open, human and easy to act on.
“Too often, people put off getting support because health feels complicated or difficult to talk about.
“Voy exists to change that, to help people understand their health earlier, access care that actually works and make living well feel like a normal, everyday part of life rather than something out of reach.
“We are proud to be part of a platform that puts real people and real conversations at its heart.”
An ASA spokesman said last night: “Both the and our rules are clear that prescription-only weight-loss medicines must not be advertised to the public.
“These are powerful drugs that can cause significant harm if not prescribed by a medical practitioner or healthcare professional following consultation.
“We’ve carried out extensive monitoring and enforcement work in this sector, supported by our AI-powered Active Ad Monitoring system, and where we do see ads breaking the rules, we will not hesitate to take action.”
Dr Earim Chaudry, chief medical officer of Voy, said: “As a clinician-led digital healthcare provider, Voy is proud to serve thousands of British customers every day.
“We’re on a mission to improve access to life-changing treatment, tackle stigma around health-related issues and support people’s wellbeing.
“These instances are matters that Voy has worked constructively with both the MHRA and ASA to address in the past and have taken action to amend in our approach going forward.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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