Ruth Langsford supported Eamonn Holmes through years of crippling health battles before their split.
The showbiz couple, both 64, have announced the shocking news they are divorcing after 14 years of marriage, following months of speculation in the TV world. The former This Morning hosts, who share a 28-year-old son Jack, have experienced the highs and lows of life together.
Many factors are said to have broken down their 27-year relationship, including Eamonn's low moods during his struggles with chronic pain. The GB News presenter, who has three more children from his first marriage to Gabrielle Holmes, has faced serious health concerns in recent years.
Ruth and Eamonn announced their split after 27 years togetherHip replacement
The TV star refused to have his hip replaced for three decades before finally undergoing surgery on both in 2016, aged 55. He went ahead with the major op to tackle the chronic hip, leg and back pain which caused him 'sleepless nights' and 'not being able to drive, let alone do anything more physically active'.
Eamonn made a good recovery from his double hip replacement and went onto lose three stone in a battle to boost his health. He just wished he had had it done sooner. "Waiting was the worst decision I ever made," he told the Telegraph. "After having both of mine replaced seven years ago, aged 55, I haven't had a single regret: in fact, it's been life-changing."
Eamonn Holmes gives major health update as he reveals TV return date
Shingles
Eamonn was struck down with the viral infection that causes a painful rash in 2018, saying he looked 'as if someone had taken a baseball bat to my face'. The star believed his severe Shingles had been brought on by a 'stressful tax row' which saw him battle with HMRC over whether he was classed as staff or a freelancer as a presenter at This Morning.
"It was bloody scary to see it," he told The Sun. "It looked as if someone had taken a baseball bat to my face and smashed me about a bit." More terrifyingly, Eamonn said the infection could have caused him to go blind.
"Blindness could have been a complication in my case," he said. "The doctor said it's really bad for you because it's around your eyes, and could be bad for your ophthalmic nerves. Medically, it was pretty serious."
The broadcaster undergoes daily physiotherapy for his chronic back pain
The star has tried everything from back stretching to ice bathsSlipped discs
The most serious of Eamonn's health woes began in early 2021. The broadcaster soon shared his chronic pain with his social media followers, writing: "A month ago I did something to my back. I don't know how I did it – getting into the car, getting out of a car, getting out of bed, whatever. I've got an MRI scan but the trouble is everything closes for Easter. I haven't got it analysed yet but what I do know is I can't sleep at night."
The star went onto discover he had three slipped discs, which are caused by the soft cushion of tissue between the bones in the spine bulging outwards. They were affecting movement in Eamonn's right leg, meaning he had to walk with a stick. He had epidural injections to manage his pain, saying they 'helped to a degree but didn't cure the problem'.
Spinal surgery
Eamonn flew over to Belfast to host an event for pal Gloria Hunniford in May 2022 and ended up in A&E after his spinal problems caused bladder and bowel issues. He spent nine days in hospital at The Royal Victoria Hospital, with doctors feeling surgery would be too risky, returning with problems in his left leg as well as his right.
The star then received advice from an unlikely source - S Club 7 original Jo O'Meara. "She got in touch to say she had the same disc problems I did and had just had surgery with a German surgeon," he told Mail Online. "I asked if she could pass on his details, because by now I was desperate."
Eamonn went under the knife in September 2022, saying: "It went well - the doctor tidied things up and generally the pain has gone which is brilliant. The flip side is that it has now left me with an issue in my left leg, which would collapse unexpectedly."
Eamonn had a double hip replacement in 2016 and wishes he had done it sooner (Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Following his battles with chronic back pain, the star uses sticks to get about (Getty Images)Horror fall
The TV host's problems with his left leg following his operation led to six falls within 10 days. On October 11, he fell down 18 stairs at home in Surrey when his leg once again gave way. "I just went back down the stairs, boom, boom, boom down the whole staircase until I hit the stone floor in the hallway," he told Mail Online. "Blood was pouring out my mouth and a bone was sticking out my shoulder."
Eamonn faced six weeks of rehabilitation at a specialist centre. Heartbreakingly, his ongoing mobility issues meant he was forced to miss his mother Josephine's funeral that November. "It's something I never thought I would have to face in life," he said. "Not being at my mother's funeral. That was a terrible low. It was just inconceivable being Irish Catholic that you wouldn't be carrying your mother's coffin."
Eamonn Holmes on crutches as he makes return to TV with the help of co-star Isabel Webster
The future
From back stretching to daily physiotherapy and ice-cold showers, Eamonn has thrown everything he can at his body in his quest to get better. Recent photos showed the star working with a physio in London's Notting Hill, first using two sticks and later a wheelchair. He was also seen pictured using a mobility scooter on holiday in the US.
But the broadcaster's mobility has been slow to improve and he has voiced his fears that he will never be able to walk again unaided. "I have tried every treatment but you go: 'Maybe I'll never get out of it,' which is a harsh reality to face," Eamonn said.
In 2022, Ruth admitted that Eamonn's injuries had been 'testing' on their marriage as they tried to 'manage as a family'. She told Woman's Weekly magazine: "I don't know how much Eamonn's mobility will improve. We live in hope." She continued: "With any care situation - and there are millions of carers in this country - it isn't always easy."
It has now been claimed Eamonn has become "more and more grumpy" as he battles with his health issues. Amid the news of their split, a friend of the couple reportedly told MailOnline: "Ruth has become more his carer than a wife. Eamonn has been thoroughly miserable."
They added: "In the end, it just started to get her [Ruth] down more than she could accept. She needs her own life. It's a case of her wanting to get out and enjoy herself." The publication also alleged that Eamonn has joked to friends about being 'touched' more by his physio than Ruth in recent years.
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