Ulrika Jonsson has insisted that Ruth Langsford wanted to ‘crack on with life’ by splitting from her husband Eamonn Holmes
Ruth and Eamonn, both 64, shocked the industry when, in May, they announced their plans to divorce after 14 years of marriage and 27 years together.
In her column for The Sun, Ulrika, 56, hit back at criticism of Ruth for leaving Eamonn in his darkest hour, after it was revealed the star had begun to feel more like ‘his carer than his wife’ in the wake of his recent health woes.
The presenter said: ‘This is baffling to me. Let’s face it, Eamonn, 64, has become a leading member of the Grumpy Old Men’s club over the years and he’s a proper curmudgeon.
‘It could just be that all his moaning got on Ruth’s nerves. There she is, wanting to crack on with life, and she’s got an old misery on two walking sticks dragging her down.’
Ulrika Jonsson has insisted that Ruth Langsford wanted to ‘crack on with life’ by splitting from her husband Eamonn Holmes
Ruth and Eamonn, both 64, shocked the industry when, in May, they announced their plans to divorce after 14 years of marriage and 27 years together
She continued: ‘I like Eamonn. A lot. I met him very early on in my career and he was always super-encouraging, supportive and kind … But it feels like the knives are out for Ruth – and regardless of the truth behind their split, I’m here to defend and applaud her.’
Ulrika also shared that she believed Eamonn was ‘punching’ with Ruth – and he knew he was, too. She praised Ruth for not staying in the marriage past its sell-by date and wondered if split would be such an issue if Eamonn initiated it.
The Daily Mail’s Katie Hind revealed last week that Ruth has struggled to cope with Eamonn’s agonising bad back following slipped discs and a fall at home in 2022.
Speaking previously to Woman’s Weekly magazine, the Loose Women presenter did admit his injuries had been ‘testing’ as they tried to ‘manage as a family’.
A friend told Katie that Ruth has become ‘more his carer than a wife’ as the Belfast-born star became more and more ‘grumpy’.
‘Eamonn has been thoroughly miserable,’ they admitted. ‘He has had a torrid time with his health, he’s in constant pain, and the truth is he can’t contain how miserable it makes him.’
‘Ruth has borne the brunt of much of his anger and frustration in recent years – and eventually something had to give. She’s still a woman with a real zest for life and in the end it just started to get her down more than she could accept.
‘She needs her own life. It’s a case of her wanting to get out and enjoy herself. Women at Ruth’s age realise that they only have ten, 20, 30 years max left and they want to have some fun.
‘They go out, get fit, look amazing and go out and have the time of their lives. Meanwhile, men stay at home being grumpy.’
The friend added: ‘The couple have remained living under the same roof, but sleeping in separate rooms – with Ruth increasingly acting more like a carer than a wife. She runs around making his lunch for him despite their fraught relationship.’
A friend told The Mail’s Katie Hind that Ruth has become ‘more his carer than a wife’ as the Belfast-born star became ‘more and more grumpy’
A source said: ‘Eamonn has been thoroughly miserable. He has had a torrid time with his health, he’s in constant pain’
Television’s former golden couple Ruth and Eamonn first met in 1997 when Eamonn was presenting breakfast show GMTV.
A mutual friend and fellow TV star, Sally Meen, 58, introduced them.
Two years earlier, Eamonn had split from Gabrielle, mother of his three eldest children, Declan, 35, Rebecca, 33, and Niall, 31.
They decided to call it quits on their commitment as the pressure of commuting to London to present GMTV from their home in Belfast took its toll.
And despite Ruth and Eamonn feeling an instant connection, he ensured it was the nation’s best-kept secret, as he did not publicly confess his love for Ruth for two years.
Eamonn even refused to hold her hand in public or attend events together for the first few years of their relationship in a bid to stay respectful to his ex of nearly 20 years.
And while some at the time believed the secrecy to be unnecessary, Ruth only fell harder for her man.
She admitted to The Daily Mail in 2017: ‘I thought it spoke volumes about the sort of man he was, the sort of father he was and the integrity he had. It made me love him more, not less.’
An insider told the Daily Mail’s Alison Boshoff this week: ‘Eamonn’s Catholic family didn’t really see eye-to-eye with Ruth, but he was totally bowled over by her.’
Given Eamonn’ comments about Ruth flatly refusing to entertain the idea of a move back to Northern Ireland, it sounds as if the feeling might have been mutual.
Eamonn revealed he could one day move back to Northern Ireland and marry a ‘local girl’ in a resurfaced interview after his split from Ruth.
The GB News host has endured a difficult period in recent years that has seen him lose his mother, job, his beloved Belfast home, and now his wife Ruth.
Speaking on NVTV’s Conversations With Gerry Kelly in January, the presenter told how his home will always be in Belfast and he may move back to Northern Ireland.
He said: ‘Ruth wouldn’t come back to Northern Ireland. Yes, because of her family and also because she’s English and she sees life around London and things, whereas I can’t stand London. So we have a different outlook on things like that.’
Eamonn then thought about a future without his wife as he added: ‘Maybe Ruth will be run over by a bus or something, who knows?
‘If I get another wife I might come back, get a local girl. That’s awful talking about Ruth being run over by a bus, that’s awful.’
The couple tied the knot in 2010 after dating for 13 years – and said that despite their separation, they are ‘determined to stay friends’.
It brings to an end one of Britain’s best known TV power couples after 27 years together, 14 of which were spent in wedlock.
They are parents to son Jack, 22, while Eamonn also has children from his previous marriage.
The GB News host has endured a difficult period in recent years that has seen him lose his mother, job, his beloved Belfast home, and now his wife Ruth (pictured in 2022)
Eamonn said: ‘Ruth wouldn’t come back to Northern Ireland. Yes, because of her family and also because she’s English and she sees life around London and things, whereas I can’t stand London’ (pictured in 2009)
Eamonn and Ruth said in a statement they were ‘determined to stay friends’ after spending most of their professional lives together.
However, sources say Ruth ‘orchestrated’ the statement, which Eamonn refused to sign off on prior to its release.
Sources told Mail+ that Eamonn is devastated about the split and that the break-up has ‘very much been orchestrated by Ruth’.
Work also contributed to his first divorce after the broadcaster’s commute from his family home in Belfast to film GMTV in London took its toll.
Two years after his split from Gabrielle, Eamonn met Ruth after being introduced by a mutual friend at GMTV.
And despite them feeling an instant connection, he ensured it was the nation’s best-kept secret, as he did not publicly confess his love for her for two years.
Eamonn even refused to hold Ruth’s hand in public or attend events together for the first few years of their relationship in a bid to stay respectful to his ex.
And while some at the time believed the secrecy to be unnecessary, Ruth only fell harder for her man.
She admitted to The Daily Mail in 2017: ‘I thought it spoke volumes about the sort of man he was, the sort of father he was and the integrity he had. It made me love him more, not less.’
Work also contributed to his first divorce after the broadcaster’s commute from his family home in Belfast to film GMTV in London took its toll (pictured on GMTV in 1994)
Eamonn pictured with daughter Rebecca (R) whom he shares with Gabrielle and his son Jack (L) whom he shares with Ruth
Then in 2006, the TV couple soon became the nation’s sweethearts as they began co-hosting ITV’s This Morning.
And after Eamonn spotted a couple of gentlemen flirting with Ruth at Cheltenham Races, he made an impromptu proposal.
Eamon had already respectfully asked Ruth’s mother for her hand in marriage because her father was in the late stages of Alzheimer’s.
Eamonn is now a grandfather after son Declan and his wife Jenny welcomed daughters in November 2023 and 2021.