Holly Willoughby has opened up on how she first fell in love with husband Dan Baldwin and the secret to a happy relationship.

The This Morning presenter, 41, has been married to the TV producer since 2007 and the couple have children Harry, 13, Belle, 11, and Chester, eight.

Preparing for Valentine’s Day next month, Holly asked her followers for their own stories of love through her Wylde Moon Instagram account.

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Candid: Holly Willoughby has opened up on how she first fell in love with husband Dan Baldwin and the secret to a happy relationship

Holly Willoughby shares how she met husband Dan

The video was captioned: ‘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’.

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In a rare bit of openness, Holly detailed her own tale of romance between her and Dan, saying that when they first met they embarked on an ‘intense friendship’ for several months, before it turned into love.

She said: ‘We met while I was doing Saturday morning kids’ telly and he was the producer and I was the presenter.

‘I’d already been there around eight months I think, and then he came in as our new producer and we started this real intense friendship – it was mad actually.

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Loved-up: The This Morning presenter, 41, has been married to the TV producer since 2007 and the couple have children Harry, 13, Belle, 11, and Chester, eight

‘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.’

She continued: ‘And this must have been six months of real intense friendship and I remember this one night we were in the bar.

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Season of love: Preparing for Valentine’s Day next month, Holly asked her followers for their own stories of love through her Wylde Moon Instagram account

‘I cheers’d 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 admitted: ‘Looking back on it now I think what I was thinking was an intense friendship was probably me falling in love.’

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Love story: In a rare bit of openness, Holly detailed her own tale of romance between her and Dan, saying that when they first met they embarked on an ‘intense friendship’ for several months, before it turned into love

She then went on to say why she felt having a friendship with your partner is the key to a successful relationship.

She explained: ‘I think that’s a really good basis for romance because we have that friendship still now and we have three beautiful children, and we’re very happy and I’m very blessed every day for having him in my life.

‘But underpinning all of that is that real friendship and laughter and just having good times together. I think it’s the real secret to keeping things how they are, which is lovely.’

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Secret: She then went on to say why she felt having a friendship with your partner is the key to a successful relationship