Holly Willoughby interview

Holly Willoughby on her new dating show with best mate Fearne Cotton

She's gone from Saturday-morning TV to Dancing on Ice and now 26-year-old Holly Willoughby is fronting a brand-new dating show with best mate Fearne Cotton. Here, she talks dating disasters with Megan Conner.

The show sees you and Fearne going head-to-head choosing dates for hopeless singletons. Do you work well together?

This is the easiest job I've ever had to do because I'm basically taking my best mate to work.

So are you the Trinny and Susannah of the dating game?

There's way more competition between me and Fearne. She seems to have it in her head that she knows better than the single person and picks out people that are totally different from what they like, but in my opinion you should always stick to your type.

Is your type anything like hers?

She loves a Camden boy who wears skinny jeans and eyeliner! I like men that shop in Gap and look like proper boys.

So if you were picking a guy for Fearne, would you go by your own rules?

Absolutely. If I did it her way, I would go to the library and find her a nice, quiet bookworm

that loves a loafer.

How did you meet your husband, Dan?

He was my producer when I was doing kids' TV. We were keeping it quiet for a while but it got a bit difficult because I was always like, 'Baby this and Baby that', and then he'd be talking into my earpiece at work and I'd say, 'Yes, Baby? I mean, Dan.'

Have you had any memorable dating disasters?

Oh yeah. There was one American guy I met on a flight to Miami and I thought he was amazing. We met up for drinks when we both got back to London and he turned out to be this full-blown cowboy with Stetson and chaps. He'd obviously dressed down for the flight.

If you were writing a lonely-hearts ad, how would you describe yourself in three words?

Punctual, feminine and? miaow! That is according to Fearne, who's with me right now.

And Fearne?

Late, a magazine whore and quite creative? and sleepy all the time!

Holly and Fearne Go Dating is on ITV1 in early September.