Holly has the write idea

Not content with presenting This Morning and The Voice, Holly Willoughby has turned her hand to writing, too!

Holly, 32, has joined forces with her older sister, Kelly, to write First Term At L’Etoile, the first in a series of children’s books set at a school of performing arts.

The book follows the fortunes of the Fitzfoster twins, Molly and Maria, as they enrol at the school for the stars of tomorrow, and Holly admits there are similarities between the twins and their creators.

“Obviously, the performing arts is a world that I know about,” she explains. “I never went to a performing arts school, but when I was at school I loved drama and putting on plays.

“Kelly’s not really theatrical, although she did drama at school and has a much better singing voice than I have. She was far more academic she was head girl, brilliant at languages and English.”

The daughters of the manager of a double-glazing company and an air stewardess, Holly says there was never any sibling rivalry but, from the way she praises her sister’s writing and academic skills, it seems Kelly was a difficult act to follow as they were growing up in Burgess Hill, West Sussex.

“As we were into different things, it was never like that,” Holly, insists. “I was into fashion, clothes and make-up, and Kelly would be there with her books.

“I would give her a makeover and she would help me with my school work.

“Our mum and dad brought us up to be very supportive of each other. I was never resentful of the fact that she did so well or was head girl. I just felt proud of her.”

Today, the sisters remain close. “We bought our first flat and lived together until I moved in with Dan [now Holly’s husband] and still see each other five or six times a week.

“That’s why the book was so easy to do,” she adds. “We’d be seeing each other with the kids, and the conversation would just turn to chatting about ideas for the book.”

Holly and Dan now have a son, Harry, four, and two-year-old daughter, Belle. A nanny looks after the children while their parents are at work.

“It’s not easy. You have to be organised,” says Holly. “I always make sure that my work-life balance is in the right proportion.

“Within the framework of a day, the hours I give to work are frantically busy, but it means I can be home every night to be with the kids, to give them a bath and put them to bed.

“I walk out to make sure I’m home in time and I’m sure, for some people, it’s extremely frustrating, but that’s the deal. It’s non-negotiable,” she adds.

While the TV business is reputedly cut-throat, Holly says she’s never stepped on anyone’s toes to get to where she wants to be.

“I don’t count myself as ruthless in fact, I count myself as the opposite. I’ve never been worried about it all disappearing,” she says.

“Obviously, I really enjoy what I’m doing, but if it suddenly all went wrong tomorrow, I’d miss it, but I wouldn’t be devastated.”

n First Term At L’Etoile, by Holly & Kelly Willoughby, is published by Orion, priced £4.99.