Eamonn Holmes’ family is shedding no tears over the breakdown of his marriage to Ruth Langsford after “never taking” his second wife.
The presenter married his first wife Gabrielle Holmes in 1985 and they separated in 1996, during which time they welcomed Declan, 35, Rebecca, 33, and Niall, 31.
Apparently the reason some of Eamonn’s relatives did not warm to Ruth during their relationship was “partly out of loyalty” to the mother of three of his children.
A source told the Daily Mail’s Alison Boshoff: “Eamonn’s Catholic family didn’t really agree with Ruth, but he was totally overwhelmed by her.”
Given Eamonn’s comments about Ruth flatly refusing to entertain the idea of returning to Northern Ireland, it seems as if the feeling may have been mutual.
Eamonn Holmes’ family is shedding no tears over the breakdown of his marriage to Ruth Langsford after “never taking” his second wife.
The presenter married his first wife Gabrielle Holmes in 1985 and they separated in 1996, during which time they welcomed Declan, 35, Rebecca, 33, and Niall, 31.
Apparently the reason some of Eamonn’s relatives didn’t warm to Ruth during their relationship was “partly” out of loyalty to the mother of three of his children (pictured this week with their wedding rings).
Eamonn revealed he may one day return to Northern Ireland and marry a “local girl” in a resurfaced interview following his split from Ruth.
The GB News presenter has gone through a difficult period in recent years which has seen him lose his mother, his job, his beloved home in Belfast and now his wife Ruth.
Speaking on NVTV Conversations with Gerry Kelly in January the The presenter said that his home will always be in Belfast and that it is possible that he will return to Northern Ireland.
He said: ‘Ruth would not return to Northern Ireland. Yes, because of her family and also because she is English and she sees life in London and stuff, while I can’t stand London. That’s why we have a different perspective on these kinds of things.’
Eamonn then thought about a future without his wife and added: “Maybe Ruth will get hit by a bus or something, who knows?”
‘If I get another wife, maybe I’ll go back and get a local girl. It’s horrible to talk about Ruth being hit by a bus, it’s horrible.
The couple married in 2010 after dating for 13 years and said that despite their split, they are “determined to remain friends.”
One of the power couples on British television comes to an end after 27 years together, 14 of which they were married.
Eamonn revealed he may one day return to Northern Ireland and marry a “local girl” in a resurfaced interview following his split from Ruth.
The GB News presenter has gone through a difficult period in recent years which has seen him lose his mother, his job, his beloved home in Belfast and now his wife Ruth (pictured in 2022).
Eamonn said: ‘Ruth would not return to Northern Ireland. Yes, because of her family and also because she’s English and she sees life in London and stuff, whereas I can’t stand London’ (pictured in 2009).
They are parents to son Jack, 22, while Eamonn also has children from his previous marriage.
Eamonn and Ruth said in a statement that they were “determined to remain friends” after spending most of their professional lives together.
However, sources say Ruth “orchestrated” the statement, which Eamonn refused to approve before it was published.
Sources told Mail+ that Eamonn is devastated by the split and that the split has been “largely orchestrated by Ruth”.
Eamonn reportedly told friends that he “didn’t want to get involved” and that “Ruth can do whatever she wants but keep me out of it.”
But if it were a joint effort, the statement citing their work commitments taking their marriage “in different directions” was actually arranged by Ruth, and Eamonn refused to participate in its publication.
The job again contributed to his first divorce after the broadcaster’s trip from his family home in Belfast to film GMTV in London took its toll.
In his 2008 memoir, This Is My Life: The Autobiography, Eamonn said: “At that stage we (Gabrielle and I) tended to be apart during the week because of my work, and I didn’t have any problem with that, although Gabrielle obviously did. I had it”.
‘I always believed that absence would make affection grow and, in fact, displacement increased my desperation for her, made the time less bearable and longer. But she gave my wife a life of her own, with her children, and on the weekends I interfered, you know?
He also suggested that after his father’s death in 1991 and his long periods of estrangement, his partner began to distance himself and he lacked “emotional support” at home.
‘Gabrielle was becoming more and more indifferent and I didn’t know why. She needed her close to her, she needed me to reach out and ease my pain, but she had her own worries, the main one being an impending birth.
Eamonn is now a grandfather after his son Declan and his wife Jenny welcomed their daughters in November 2023 and 2021.
Two years after his split from Gabrielle, Eamonn met Ruth after being introduced by a mutual friend on GMTV.
And even though they felt an instant connection, he claimed it was the nation’s best-kept secret, as he didn’t publicly confess his love for her for two years.
Eamonn even refused to hold Ruth’s hand in public or attend events together during the early years of their relationship in a bid to be respectful of his ex.
And although some at the time believed the secret was unnecessary, Ruth fell even more in love with her man.
The job also contributed to his first divorce after the broadcaster’s trip from his family home in Belfast to film GMTV in London took its toll (pictured on GMTV in 1994).
Gabrielle is the mother of his three eldest children, Declan, 35, Rebecca, 33, and Niall, 31 (pictured with sons Declan and Niall)
Eamonn pictured with his daughter Rebecca (right) and son Jack (left), who he shares with Ruth.
She admitted to The Daily Mail in 2017: ‘I thought it said a lot about the kind of man he was, the kind of father he was and the integrity he had. That made me love him more, not less.
Then in 2006, the TV couple soon became the country’s sweethearts when they began co-hosting ITV’s This Morning.
And after Eamonn spotted a couple of gentlemen flirting with Ruth at Cheltenham Races, he made her an impromptu proposal.
Eamon had already respectfully asked Ruth’s mother for her hand because his father was in the final stages of Alzheimer’s.
While Ruth and Eamonn have remained silent following the split announcement, sources close to the couple say that “Ruth’s representatives are preparing a statement” that will share the sad news with her followers.
The beloved TV couple, who friends say were “as close to Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan as you can get,” have sparked rumors in recent months as neither appeared in the other’s Instagram posts.