Eamonn Holmes called wife Ruth a ‘creature of habit’ and said she ‘gets on my nerves’ just weeks before shock split
JUST weeks before their split Eamonn Holmes admitted that Ruth Langsford “got on his nerves”.
The TV presenters stunned fans in May after announcing the breakdown of their 15-year marriage.
In an interview before their split, Eamonn said that the Loose Women presenter was a “creature of habit”.
He was discussing his relationship with his GB News co-host Isabel Webster with HELLO! magazine.
The 64-year-old joked that Isobel “never shuts up” when he tries to read the newspapers before going on air.
“She and my wife are incredibly alike, they’re both creatures of habit, like routine and do things the same way every day – and they both get on my nerves!” he said.
Isobel also told the publication that she and Ruth used to “gang up on him”.
She said: “She sends me messages while we’re on air, saying things like, ‘Tell him his tie’s not straight.’ And when he revealed how Ruth snores, she shot back, ‘Don’t get me started on his faults!'”
Cracks started to appear in Eamonn and Ruth’s relationship after they’d not been photographed together for two years.
Ruth had been helping Eamonn after he was plagued with health problems.
He had a double hip replacement in 2016, and back surgery last year left him using a wheelchair.
He was pictured recently using a walking frame.
Since their split, Ruth, 64, has confided to her friends that there is “no way back” for the marriage.
She and Eamonn first met in 1997 and were married in 2010. Their son Jack was born in 2002.
Eamonn has three children from a previous marriage.
The presenting duo won over millions of fans on ITV’s This Morning between 2006 and 2021.
Ruth and Eamonn Relationship Timeline
Before the shock split announcement, Ruth and Eamonn seemed like one of the strongest couples on UK TV – even with their signature bickering style.
Here’s how their romance played out…
1997 – The couple first meet after being introduced by mutual friends, two years after Eamonn splits from his first wife, Gabrielle, with whom he has three children.
1997-2002 – To be respectful to Gabrielle, the couple kept their relationship out of the limelight. Ruth told Daily Mail: “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.”
2002 – Ruth and Eamonn welcome their son, Jack, to the family.
2005 – Eamonn finalises his divorce with Gabrielle.
2006 – The pair begin to host Friday episodes of This Morning together.
2010 – Eamonn proposes to Ruth while at the Cheltenham Races, after asking Ruth’s mother for her hand.
June 2010 – Eamonn and Ruth marry at Elvetham Hall, Hampshire.
2016 – Eamonn undergoes a double hip replacement in the first of many health battles.
June 2019 – On This Morning, Ruth and Eamonn say the secret to their happy marriage. Eamonn credits “compromise, consideration and lots of conjugal,” while Ruth said it was “laughter and an equal marriage”.
November 2020 – Ruth and Eamonn are replaced on their regular Friday slot by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary in a ‘show shake-up’.
December 2021 – After a year of being moved to the bank holiday presenting slot, both Eamonn and Ruth left This Morning.
January 2022 – Eamonn debuted on GB News, while Ruth stayed with ITV in her long-standing role on Loose Women.
September 2022 – Eamonn undergoes spinal surgery after years of back issues including a trapped sciatic nerve.
November 2022 – Eamonn falls down the stairs of his Surrey home with Ruth and breaks his shoulder, requiring a new operation.
September 2023 – Eamonn has a spine and neck stretching procedure as part of his year-long recovery.
May 2024 – Ruth and Eamonn announce they have split after 14 years of marriage and a 27-year relationship.
Eamonn has since starred on GB News breakfast show, thanking viewers for their support after announcing his split.
Ruth is yet to break her silence on their split, but is believed to speak about it upon her Loose Women return.
The 64-year-old has been absent from the daytime TV show since April.
According to reports, Ruth feels like she ‘owes’ it to the viewers to address the situation and she thinks the Loose Women environment is prefect for that.
It’s thought she won’t be doing a full interview about it, but will take the opportunity to touch on it while surrounded by her Loose Women co-stars.
A TV insider told MailOnline: “The presenters on Loose Women have a history of opening up about their marriage splits on air and it’s a very supportive environment.
“Ruth knows the viewers are heavily invested in her breakup so she will be addressing her and Eamonn for the first time on the show.
“The audience has been there through the highs and the lows of her relationship, she has always been very open and honest and next week will be no different… she owes it to the viewers to say something.”