Ahead of Valentine’s Day, Holly Willoughby has shared the story of how she met and fell in love with her husband Dan Baldwin when they worked together on kids TV years ago

Holly Willoughby has shared the story of how she met and fell in love with her husband Dan Baldwin.

In a rare moment for the private star, 41 year old Holly became incredibly personal about her family life and relationship and even shared her version of the secret to a long and happy marriage.

The This Morning presenter, who was exposed for throwing her co-host Phillip Schofield under a “horse” during a funny moment on today’s show, is gearing up for the season of love and romance via her spiritual and lifestyle Instagram account Wylde Moon.

All smiles as she reflected back on the sweet memories of her great love story, the star asked for her followers’ own stories as Valentine’s Day is around the corner.

Holly Willoughby was all smiles as she reflected on the memories for Valentine’s Day (Image: INSTAGRAM/HOLLY WILLOUGHBY)

Holly Willoughby has shared her love story with husband Dan Baldwin (Image: PA)

“When Holly met Dan… With the season of love just around the corner Holly shares her own love story… There’s a little something in the air….can you feel it? 27.01.23,” the caption read.

Filming herself, Holly beamed at the camera as she recalled starting an “intense friendship” with her beau during their days on Saturday morning TV decades ago.

She wore her signature blond locks clipped back in a half up-do, and kept herself cosy in a grey jumper and black teddy bear coat.

After a six month period of fun and frolics with the whole team, Holly said she finally realised she secretly liked Dan in a non-platonic way and “the rest was history”.

“We met when I was doing Saturday morning kids telly, and he was the producer and I was the presenter,” Holly began the lengthy video. “And I remember I’d already been there for about eight months I think, and then he came in as our new producer, and we started this real intense friendship.

Holly told her fans she thought the secret to a long romance was friendship (Image: INSTAGRAM/HOLLY WILLOUGHBY)
“It was mad actually, there was sort of two other guys that started at the same time, and we just became inseparable.

“We’d rehearse, and then we’d go out afterwards, and then we’d end up… We were filming down in Maidstone Studios and we used to stay in a hotel there.

“And you know everybody would go to the bar and then everybody would come back into either my room or their room and we’d all sit round just talking and laughing, and I just remember it just being such a fun time. I always describe that time as sort of my university years, really.”

Holly Willoughby and Dan Baldwin, pictured in 2009, married in August 2007 (Image: Getty)
The Dancing On Ice host, who recently showed off her immaculate and stunning £3million mansion she shares with Dan and their children, continued: “And this must have been six months of real intense friendship and I remember this one night we were in the bar.

“I cheersed Dan, and I remember my eye just caught him for a little bit longer than it should have done, and I looked at him, and thought oh my god, I fancy Dan Baldwin.

“And it took me by complete surprise, and then the rest is history.”

Holly Willoughby and husband Dan Baldwin have been married since 2007, after meeting in 2004 (Image: 2019 GORC/Getty)

Holly and Dan share three children together (Image: GETTY)
Laughing that she and her now-husband got together “pretty quickly after that,” Holly carried on reminiscing with a big smile as she admitted that looking back on the sweet memories now, her “intense friendship” was probably her “falling in love”.

“I think that’s a really good basis for romance, because we have that friendship still now,” Holly gushed in an uncharacteristic display of affection for her husband.

“We’ve got three beautiful children, and we’re very happy and I’m very blessed every day for having him in my life.

“But really underpinning all of that, is that real friendship and laughter, and just having good times together, I think, is the real secret to keeping things as they are, which is lovely,” the TV star added.