Eamonn Holmes’ girlfriend Katie has a son with retired coach driver 40 years older than her who says she’s ‘brilliant’

EAMONN Holmes' new girlfriend Katie Alexander has a son with a retired coach driver 40 years her senior.

The 42-year-old met Michael Devine when she was just 19 and working as a shop assistant.

Their relationship, despite the significant age gap, lasted five years and resulted in the birth of their only child, 22.

Michael, now 81, fondly recalls their time together and has expressed his happiness for Katie's new romance with the broadcaster.

He emphasised that there are no hard feelings between himself and Katie, and he wishes her well in her new chapter.

The West Yorkshire-native attributes the end of their relationship to the demands of his job as a coach driver, which required long periods away from home.

Michael told : "We've been split up for a lot of years now, but I see my son regularly, maybe once a week.

"I do see Katie now and again, but she is down in London.

"There are no hard feelings whatsoever towards Katie, she's a nice woman, she really is. I wish her well. Absolutely brilliant, is Katie."

Eamonn, 64, whose break-up with Ruth Langsford, also 64, was revealed by The Sun in May, sparked wedding rumours after his new woman was seen sporting the dazzling band this week.

The wrap-around gold and silver ring dazzled in the bright sunshine and was matched only by the marriage counsellor’s blinding smile.

However, Katie has denied it was an engagemeng ring and insists they're not engaged.

A source said at the time: “Katie looked radiant and like the cat that got the cream.”

She leaves her home in Huddersfield to drive to Eamonn’s luxury pad in Kingston, South West London, virtually every weekend.

And it was no different as she made the 4.5-hour trek last Thursday to snuggle up the presenter in the bolthole on a luxury private estate near leafy Richmond Park.

The Sun told how Katie has lifted the ailing TV star’s spirits at his £2m bachelor pad.

And she has excitedly shared with friends that she and Eamonn are “planning a future together”.

However, fans hoping for a showbiz wedding look set to be disappointed as a source close to Katie admitted the ring was in fact a piece of costume jewellery.

TV favourite Eamonn moved out of his and Ruth's marital home after his devastated wife discovered messages between him and another mystery woman.

Katie has excitedly disclosed their previous ‘close friendship’ has “gone up several notches”, sources said.

We previously revealed how Eamonn had become intimate with the counsellor specialising in ‘affair and betrayals’ months before his marriage split.

In the last year, he grew close with Katie behind the back of his devastated wife and co-presenter legend Ruth.

Eamonn, beset by mobility issues, has showered Katie with gifts and trips and befriended her kids as their close relationship developed further.

The breakfast host treated Katie and her family to a Woburn Safari Park trip in Bedford in February – even sharing snaps on social media of their outing.

Eamonn did not publicly reveal that he was on a day trip with his new companion.

Katie’s head was just visible in the back of a jeep which he posed in front of – with unsuspecting fans having no idea of the blossoming romance behind Ruth’s back.

Eamonn has splashed the cash to keep Katie sweet as his marriage crumbled.

He treated her and her two youngest kids to a stay at Center Parks last year.

Eamonn also spoiled Katie and her daughter with tickets to a Beyonce gig last year as he cemented his closeness to the £45-an-hour therapist.

Die-hard Manchester United fan Eamonn gave Katie and her kids his tickets to a Prem game at Old Trafford last season.