He was king of the breakfast shows, dominating the This Morning sofa with ex-wife Ruth Langsford for a decade and a half. In that time, he earned huge reputation and the financial rewards to match.
But the years have not been kind to Eamonn Holmes.
After leaving ITV under a ‘bitter’ cloud in 2021, the 65-year-old went on to present a daytime show at the somewhat less prestigious GB News.
And since undergoing spinal surgery in 2022, which left him reliant on a walking frame or wheelchair, health problems have seen the presenter take several enforced breaks from his new role.
In a distressing incident earlier this year, Holmes fell off his chair live on air prompting chaos behind the scenes.
And it seems things are getting little better for the 65-year-old Ulsterman as he’s now been axed from his position hosting a major awards ceremony.
Holmes has hosted the Irish Post Awards in London every year since 2013 but this year, the popular Virgin radio presenter, Ryan Tubridy, is taking over.
Eamonn Holmes has hosted the Irish Post Awards in London every year since 2013 but will not do so this year (pictured in 2023)
TV sources have told me that, sadly, Eamonn struggled with the responsibilities of hosting the ceremony last year because of his mobility problems.
‘The truth is that Eamonn is an Irish legend,’ said an insider. ‘But things didn’t really go well last time – and it’s felt that it’s time he moved over for the more appropriate talent waiting in the wings.
‘This time around, it just felt foolhardy to stick with him even though he’s been such a big part of things for so long.’
I can also reveal that Eamonn has been dropped by his management company, InterTalent, an agency headed by Jonathan Shalit, who snapped up the presenter in 2022 after the fallout with ITV.
Holmes had previously been a longstanding client of the talent agency YMU who helped turn the presenter and his then-wife, Ruth into a distinctive brand and secured a number of big-money deals promoting products aimed at older people, including blood circulation boosters and bingo games.
But YMU and Eamonn split amid suggestions they had been prioritising the now-disgraced presenter Phillip Schofield – who was still presenting on This Morning at the time. At the time, Holmes said he felt ‘it was all about Philip Schofield’.
A year later, Schofield would be sacked from ITV after it was discovered he had an affair with a much younger male colleague.
TV sources say that Eamonn, pictured with girlfriend Katie Alexander, struggled with the responsibilities of hosting the Irish Post Awards ceremony last year because of his mobility problems
With marriage to his wife of 14 years beginning to unravel, Eamonn was facing problems of his own.
Hailed as one of the country’s most-loved TV couples alongside Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, Eamonn and Ruth had a major setback in 2020 when they were axed from their slot on This Morning in favour of Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary.
Ruth, 65, remained with their talent agency, YMU, which also represents stars including Ant McPartlin, Declan Donnelly and Amanda Holden while also keeping hold of her hosting position on the panel show, Loose Women.
Then in 2024 came the news that the pair were separating – a surprise to their fans, although those behind the scenes knew it had been coming.
Eamonn, who is still negotiating his divorce from Ruth, has also faced the sadness of a reported row with his son Jack, 23, who sided with his mother over the split.
His three older children from a previous marriage also remain close to Ruth as Eamonn’s relationship with a woman 22 years his junior, marriage therapist Katie Alexander, is said to have ‘gone down like a lead balloon’ with his family.
Eamonn, who is still negotiating his divorce from Ruth Langsford, has also faced the sadness of a reported row with his son Jack, 23, who sided with his mother over the split
It is believed Eamonn met the attractive 40-something 12 years before his split from Ruth.
She has seemed the perfect woman to help the Belfast-born broadcaster get over the recriminations and heartache of his break-up last year.
Claims that the pair exchanged flirty messages online when they first met more than a decade ago have not helped. Neither have reports suggesting Ruth found Eamonn had been showering Katie with gifts before their marriage finally collapsed in May 2024.
However, both Katie and Eamonn insist that nothing went on between them until their respective marriages were over.
Now, one year in, it seems their own much-talked-about relationship might be feeling the strain.
A source close to Eamonn said: ‘He’s grumpier than ever and his health problems really aren’t helping, but instead of moving closer to Katie and settling, he’s spending more time with his family in Belfast, often without her.’
That sentiment was echoed by some of Eamonn’s colleagues at GB News, who describe him as ‘very, very moany’ – with one saying he’s ‘a miserable goat even on a good day’.
‘He goes into GB News in the morning, and he moans and moans,’ the colleague says.
‘It seems to be fizzling out for him. He is very low – the only thing that cheers him is going to work, he loves working.’
Now, with presenting gigs seemingly drying up for the once-star presenter, he might have a little more time to spend at home with a new girlfriend who, as a marriage therapist, might seem admirably well-qualified to soothe his troubled brow.
