‘They’ve taken everything’, says Eamonn Holmes after being ‘forced’ to sell beloved home in £250,000 tax clash
The 64-year-old believes the stress resulted in a health condition which could have left him blind
DEVASTATED Eamonn Holmes has had to sell his beloved home to settle a huge tax bill.
The TV presenter, 64, said “they’ve taken everything” after being “forced” to give up the house in his home town Belfast as part of a long-running dispute with HM Revenue and Customs.
Eamonn also believes the stress of the dispute caused his health to deteriorate.
After losing two appeals against the HMRC, in which the former This Morning host forked out “hundreds of thousands of pounds” to settle legal fees, Eamonn was ordered to pay £250,000.
A tribunal in 2020 ruled he was employed by ITV while hosting This Morning, not working as a freelancer.
Tax officials ordered the GB News host to pay a decades worth of backdated national insurance and tax payments.
The veteran presenter previously argued he had never been handed sick pay, holiday pay or shares in companies while working at ITV.
He has now revealed he had to sell his house in the Belmont area of Belfast to pay the demand.
I was like a lamb to the slaughter – it was the most stressful, humiliating experience.”
Eammon Holmes
He told his former UTV co-star Gerry Kelly: “I had a house here until six weeks ago when I was forced to sell it by the Inland Revenue (HMRC).
“It’s something I’m very bitter about because people think you earn lots of money and therefore you have to pay.
“It’s like they have taken away everything I ever worked for.
“People think it’s only the Eamonn Holmeses of this world that they’re after.
“But it’s not. The country is broken.”
HEALTH SCARE
Last year, Eamonn revealed the tax row was “the most stressful experience outside of losing my father”.
He believed his anxiety resulted in a case of shingles in 2018, which could have left him blind.
At the time he said: “I was like a lamb to the slaughter – it was the most stressful, humiliating experience.
“It was b****y scary to see [the illness]. It looked as if someone had taken a baseball bat to my face and smashed me about a bit.”
An HMRC spokesperson said: “We take the wellbeing of all taxpayers seriously and do everything we can for those who engage with us to get their tax affairs in order, including by offering affordable payment plans.”
Eamonn previously revealed dreams of moving back to Belfast early last year, perhaps to the home he has now been forced to sell.
It’s something I’m very bitter about because people think you earn lots of money and therefore you have to pay. It’s like they have taken away everything I ever worked for.”
Eammon Holmes
However, wife Ruth Langsford was not as keen, according to her husband, who spoke to Loose Women’s Kaye Adams on her How To Be 60 podcast.
She asked: “Could you see yourself moving to Belfast?”
To which Eammon replied: “Oh gosh yes, but Ruth wouldn’t want that, she won’t go, she wouldn’t go.”
The couple currently reside in their incredible Surrey mansion and frequently give fans a glimpse into the lavish home.
They have showed off their luxury pad over the years, revealing an amazing kitchen, which boasts oak cupboards, white marble worktops and matching tiled flooring.
Inside Eamonn's recent struggles
Former This Morning host Eamonn Holmes has shared his struggles across the past few years.
- In 2018 – The HMRC launches their investigation into the presenter and he comes down with a case of shingles that could have left him blind due to stress.
- In 2020 – A tribunal ruled Eamonn was employed by ITV while hosting This Morning, not working as a freelancer – and he was ordered to pay back £250,000.
- April 1 2021 – Eamonn is rushed to hospital after suffering from “pain he’s never felt in his life”.
- April 9 2021 – Eamonn finally reveals the reason why he’s been suffering from chronic pain in an ongoing health battle.
- May 2021 – The presenter opens up to fans about “learning to walk again” as he was left dependent on crutches.
- September 2022 – The ex-ITV host is forced to take a break from TV to undergo a vital operation.
- November 2022 – Eamonn suffers another setback after a fall at his Surrey home – leaving the star with a fractured shoulder and in “an awful lot of pain”.
- February 2023 – His rarely seen son is seen pushing Eamonn in a wheelchair.
- March 2023 – Eamonn loses his appeal against the HMRC.
- September 8 2023 – Eamonn raises alarm bells with fans after sharing a snap of him in a mobility scooter.
- September 9 2023 – He issues a health update stating he fell down the stairs two weeks after another surgery on his back.
- January 2024 – Eamonn is “forced” to sell his Northern Ireland property to pay the £250,00.
Their massive dining room also appears regularly on social media during holiday period after being transformed to fit the seasonal theme.
Footage of their dedicated workout zone, where Ruth often documents her exercise routines, has impressed viewers.
The pair also love to cuddle up in their large lounge, which offers a working fireplace and huge TV over the mantel.
There is a huge bathroom and a special laundry room.
Meanwhile, Ruth has her own white arm chair with matching footstool where she likes to sit with a cup of tea and Eamonn has his own office space.
The room has been transformed into a proper man cave with a giant Manchester United mural on the wall and framed memorabilia on the walls.
This comes after Eamonn shared a health update to fans after being photographed in a mobility scooter last year.
The former This Morning presenter has been suffering from chronic back pain over the past few years.
He unfortunately fell down the stairs two weeks into his recovery after undergoing a back operation last September.
Speaking to his guest Tim Franklin, the former Sky News Sunrise host remarked: “I can’t run, I can’t walk, I can’t do anything except watch TV and eat.
“I just got problems last year in my back, which I haven’t recovered from. It’s not good, it’s not a good recipe I have to say.
Turning to the panellist, he hinted that he struggles to build the energy to heal as he remarked: “You are a good motivation for all of us.
“What would you say to people out there who just have not got that motivation?”
Signs and symptoms of Shingles
Shingles is an infection that causes a painful rash on your skin, which tends to affect just one side of your body.
If you have the infection, you might:
- have a tingling or painful feeling in an area of your skin
- have a headache
- feel generally unwell
- get a blistery rash
The rash won’t appear until a few days after those first symptoms, usually appearing on your chest or tummy.
But the blotchy and blistery rash can crop up anywhere on your body, including your face, eyes and genitals.
