Holly Willoughby has opened up about her childhood battle with a lifelong learning difficulty which left her feeling ‘constantly embarrassed’ at school.
The 43-year-old Dancing On Ice host previously revealed that she was diagnosed with dyslexia when she was in her early teens and was left feeling ‘shameful’ on a daily basis due to her struggle.
However, that all changed for the ITV host when she met one ‘incredible’ teacher who offered her support.
Holly recalled: “My favourite teacher, who was incredible, was called Mrs Williamson. She was an English teacher and I did not get my dyslexia diagnosis until just before my GCSEs, which is late.
“So for a long time at school I hated reading out loud because I could not read very well, I would get mixed up and I was constantly embarrassed.”
Reflecting on her teacher’s guidance, she said: “She always took me aside. She spent a lot of time with me and really took the time. Even in break times. She would never make me feel stupid.”
Dyslexia is recognised as a disability in the UK. However, unlike a learning disability, intelligence isn’t affected.
The NHS states that dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling and is believed to affect 1 in 10 people in the UK to some degree.
Holly told Red Magazine in 2020 how ‘terrified’ she had been to read out loud at school but admits it still happens now.
She explained: “I was convinced everybody thought I was stupid. It still happens now – most of the mistakes I make on This Morning are because of it [her dyslexia], but it doesn’t do what it did to me back then because I don’t let it have power.
“I now know that it’s all about how you package it in your head.”
Holly, who presented This Morning for 14 years before she left the role in 2023, previously revealed that she checked the autocue in advance and used coloured scripts to help her present the ITV show.
However, she previously revealed during a chat with Sir Richard Branson in 2022, who is also dyslexic, that she does not see her learning difficulty as a ‘”disability” and is now very proud of it.
She said: “I think it makes me who I am. I don’t see it as a disability at all, I see it as a real feather in my cap. I’m very proud of being dyslexic, I think it makes me who I am. I think half of the things I think that I’m actually quite good at in life are because I’m dyslexic.”
Despite this, Holly who is a mum-of-three, is still feeling slightly ‘concerned’ her own children may have dyslexia too.
In an interview with Glasgow’s Sunday Post, she said “I do bear it in mind quite a lot. Although my mum hasn’t been officially tested she has very similar tendencies to me.
“I don’t know whether that’s [dyslexia is] hereditary or not, but I do think about that. Schools are so much more advanced in looking out for it than when I was at school.”