Lee Mack has revealed the real reason Holly Willoughby's ice challenge show Freeze The Fear was canceled after it received a frosty reception.
In the series hosted by Holly (42) and Lee (55), eight celebrities went on a unique adventure under the guidance of extreme athlete Wim Hof (64).
However, last month it was announced that the show would not be returning and now Lee has revealed that this is because the program was boring.
Speaking to The Sun, the comedian said: “Celebrities in cold water didn't make TV as exciting as they thought.”
The first series in 2022 included Strictly Come Dancing professional Dianne Buswell, actress Tamzin Outhwaite and former gymnast Gabby Logan.
Lee Mack has revealed the REAL reason why Holly Willoughby's show Freeze The Fear was canceled earlier this month
Speaking to The Sun, the comedian revealed it was because the show was boring, explaining: “Celebrities in Cold Water wasn't as exciting TV as they thought.”
Although it won't be coming back, Lee admitted: “I liked it.” “I was booked as a cynical comedian.”
Holly returned to ITV in January to host the new series of Dancing On Ice alongside Stephen Mulhern.
This role marks her first return to the network since she left the show last October following an alleged kidnapping and murder plot.I
Last month it was revealed that Freeze The Fear would not be returning, as a TV insider told The Sun: “This bad news caps an extremely difficult year for Holly, which has seen her drastically reassess her life and career.”
“Axing Freeze the Fear limits her options and leaves a question mark over where she will go next after giving up her biggest gig as co-host of This Morning.”
“It is also disappointing for her husband Dan, who runs the production company Hungry Bear, which made the show.”
“But they will take comfort in the fact that they will be delivering Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and Gladiators to BBC One this month.”
A BBC spokesman told Web: “As it stands there are no immediate plans for a further series of Freeze The Fear on the BBC.”
Strictly Come Dancing professional Dianne Buswell, actress Tamzin Outhwaite (centre) and former gymnast Gabby Logan took part in the first series
At Freeze the Fear, hosted by Holly, 42 (right), and Lee Mack, 55 (left), eight celebrities went on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure under the guidance of extreme athlete Wim Hof, 64
The show revolved around Wim, also known as “The Iceman,” who led the VIPs through a series of challenges designed to test their physical and mental limits
Web has contacted a representative for Holly for comment.
Speculation about the future of “Freeze the Fear” has been increasing since it first aired in 2022.
In January last year, it was reported that the program had been put on hold, with no work on the second season at that time.
The series saw Holly return to the BBC after almost a decade and even took time off from This Morning in January 2022 to film the film.
A source told The Sun last January: “Since 2004, Holly has worked almost exclusively for ITV as one of the channel's most in-demand presenters.”
“So it was a big deal in the industry that she moved to the BBC and showed that she had real confidence in the huge success of Freeze the Fear. But it looks like a second series hasn’t been worked on yet.”
The show revolved around Wim, also known as “The Iceman,” who led the VIPs through a series of challenges designed to test their physical and mental limits.
Holly returned to ITV in January to host the new series of Dancing On Ice alongside Stephen Mulhern
It comes after Holly resigned from This Morning in October (pictured in September 2023) after she was eventually “duped” by an alleged “kidnap and murder plot”.
Each week, celebrities took on demanding challenges that became increasingly daring as the series progressed.
With Wim's encouragement, the celebrities learned to reap the benefits of cold water therapy and faced a unique test of their mental strength.
Wim has dedicated his life to showing others that they can achieve things they thought were impossible.
Previously, he used special techniques to control his mind and body while running a half marathon barefoot above the Arctic Circle, diving into ice for 1 hour and 52 minutes, and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in only shorts and shoes.
“There is a natural power in the cold,” he said previously. “When we embrace it, the magic happens.”
“This isn’t about being tough. It’s about taking ownership of the power of your own spirit.”