A popular figure from children’s television made a remarkable return to the screen. After gaining fame at just 19 on CITV, Danielle Nicholls took a break to focus on her family and deal with the tragic loss of her daughter.

Despite being cautioned that she was too old to revive her TV career, the 47-year-old star from Manchester is proving her critics wrong by co-hosting a late-night entertainment and call-in program, The Late Night Phone-In, on Talk TV with Andre Walker – showcasing a transformed appearance from her CITV days.

Initially discovered by producer Steve Ryde, Danielle co-hosted the daily children’s channel alongside Stephen Mulhern from 1998 to 2001. After leaving CITV, she hosted Channel 5’s Night Fever. By 2012, Danielle and her husband, Dean Holden, who serves as Assistant Head Coach at Hull City, had welcomed three children. Tragedy struck in 2012 when their daughter, Cici, passed away from meningococcal septicaemia while on vacation in Lanzarote.

Following this heartbreaking loss, Danielle faced a challenging job interview just two weeks later and decided she could not pretend to be happy on television. Despite the grief, Danielle and Dean expanded their family by welcoming two more children and Danielle also became a certified breastfeeding adviser. The COVID-19 pandemic brought further emotional struggles for Danielle.

During the 2020 lockdown, Danielle and Dean had a pivotal conversation where they agreed she should pursue what makes her happy. Serendipitously, Danielle reconnected with a former CITV colleague in London, reigniting her passion for television presenting.

Despite being told she was too old for the industry, Danielle defied the odds and landed a new presenting role on Talk TV in August 2022. She expressed how her accent, once criticized, has now become an asset, and reflected on the changing landscape of the TV industry.

Danielle’s journey back to television has been met with positivity and she feels the industry has evolved for the better this time around.