Eamonn Holmes could have gone blind after he was struck down with Shingles, which he believes was bought on by a "stressful" tax row.
The presenter is being ordered to pay an unexpected £250,000 tax bill following a 2020 court ruling.
The tribunal found that despite him arguing that he was freelance whilst on This Morning, he still counted as an ITV employee for tax purposes.
He is now appealing against the ruling, and said the hearing was "the most stressful experience outside of losing my father".
The GB News star said: "I was like a lamb to the slaughter – it was the most stressful, humiliating experience.”
Eamonn Holmes gives major health update as he reveals TV return date
Eamonn Holmes caught shingles in 2018 and was told by doctors that it could have cost him his eyesightHe was left unable to work and believes that the stress of the tax case was what sparked shingles.
Eamonn, 63, said that the virus hit him so hard it looked "as if someone had taken a baseball bat to my face".
His shingles attack came on in 2018, just two weeks before his eldest son Declan's wedding.
Eamonn Holmes caught shingles in 2018 and was told by doctors that it could have cost him his eyesightDescribing the illness he said: “It was bloody scary to see it. It looked as if someone had taken a baseball bat to my face and smashed me about a bit.”
He went on: “Blindness could have been a complication in my case.
“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.”
Eamonn is trying to raise awareness of the severity of shingles (Scott Garfitt/REX/Shutterstock)“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.”
He's teamed up with Strictly Come Dancing star James Jordan and the pair are running a campaign about the illness ahead of Shingles Awareness Week.
Shingles is an infection of the nerves caused by a virus.
He is being ordered to pay £250,000 in unpaid taxes (@eamonnholmes/Instagram)It first appears as a painful rash or small blisters on the skin and can appear anywhere on the body.
Eamonn Holmes on crutches as he makes return to TV with the help of co-star Isabel Webster
After the rash has gone, the pain can continue for months or even years.
They both believe that they were struck down with the virus after they were run down.
Jordan was struck down when he was on holiday last October when he spotted the sores on his tummy.
James Jordan also battled shingles and has teamed up with EamonnDo you enjoy reading about celebrities? Sign up for all the best celeb news from the Mirror .
He thought it was sunburn at first, but quickly learned that he'd actually developed shingles.
For Jordan, he believes that it was the death of his dad that caused him to suffer from the illness.
Eamonn, who has urged anyone with symptoms to get checked immediately, says that he and Jordan have become "good mates", and joked that they have a "bit of a bromance."
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