Eamonn Holmes revealed what STOPPED Ruth Langsford divorcing him for years – 12 months before shock marriage split
EAMONN Holmes revealed the secret to his 'happy' marriage just a year before his shock split with Ruth Langsford was announced.
The broadcasting veteran, 64, claimed to know the reason why Ruth had never divorced him while speaking about their relationship.
Eamonn insisted that Ruth, also 64, would frequently say she would have divorced him if he didn't make her laugh so much.
The GB News host made the comments while chatting to Ruth's Loose Women co-star Kaye Adams on her How To Be 60 podcast.
Kaye remarked that Eamonn and Ruth "laugh a lot", to which he replied: "Oh, I'd have to laugh a lot married to her, yes.
"She always said to me, if you didn't make me laugh so much, we'd be divorced. That's what she says.
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"But yes, we have a good relationship from that point of view.
"Ruth has a very good sense of humour and we do laugh a lot, she can take a joke very well."
Eamonn was grilled about what his plans were for the next 10 years and he said he'd like to be "financially sound" and "be able to retire".
The star's appearance on Kaye's podcast aired in February 2023.
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Eamonn and Ruth confirmed their separation in May 2024, with a spokesman for the pair saying they were "in the process of divorcing".
This week, Ruth made her return to Loose Women after taking time off from the show in the wake of her marriage split.
She was welcomed back to the ITV1 studio with a big round of applause.
Ruth was wearing her wedding ring, although she did not address her extended break from Loose Women.
Eamonn, meanwhile, shared a heartbreaking health update with his followers this week.
The star has been battling chronic pain for several years and has faced numerous operations and procedures.
He had undergone a double hip operation in 2016 but his health began to progressively worsen four years after that.
This week, Eamonn shared a clip of himself as he exercised on an anti-gravity treadmill.
The treadmill is a specialist rehabilitation tool that allows patients to walk or run, with as little as 20 per cent of their bodyweight.
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 : "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.
Sadly, Eamonn told his Instagram followers he was "trying to remember what it felt like to have legs that worked".
News of Eamonn and Ruth's split after 15 years of marriage really shocked fans.
The couple’s union was said to have rapidly deteriorated after their departure from This Morning in 2021.
Eamonn has since been spotted with blonde beauty Katie Alexander, 42, after The Sun told of their close friendship.
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Eamonn treated her to a Beyonce concert, Center Parcs and a Manchester United game — while Katie has been seen in his native Belfast.
A source recently told The Sun: "The fact remains that he would still be in the marital home, being cared for by Ruth, if she didn't find out what had gone on behind her back."
