Eamonn Holmes reportedly left This Morning due to a dip in ratings and the programme’s boss Martin Frizell’s aversion to his on-screen eating habits, according to sources close to Phillip Schofield. Martin was named in reports as one of the “three s**ts” by Phillip, which also included ITV’s Emma Gormley and his once close pal Holly Willoughby.
Eamonn and wife Ruth Langsford, both 64, anchored the Friday segment for 14 years before they lost their slot in a show shake-up in late 2020. A source said: “Eamonn and Ruth leaving was all down to ratings – and because Martin joked that he couldn’t bear to watch him eat on TV.
“Chefs do cooking segments on This Morning and Martin’s dislike of the sight of Eamonn chomping on whatever had been cooked up became a joke that he shared among people working on the show.” Ruth was a delight and was loved by the team. Eamonn was not as popular.” Sources previously claimed that Eamonn’s segments on This Morning pulled in strong ratings compared to other Friday presenters. Following his replacement by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary for the Friday slot, Eamonn left ITV after a year and joined GB News, where he continues to present the Breakfast Show.
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OK! has contacted Eamonn’s representative and ITV for comment.
In a January 2022 interview, Eamonn expressed his grievances, stating: “They’re sly. They didn’t want to announce that I’d been dropped because it would adversely affect audience figures, so they made it look as if I’d walked away from them rather than the other way round.” Friends have countered Eamonn’s version of events, insisting: “Contrary to Eamonn’s narrative, Phillip had no problem with his former co-host until Eamonn started to write disparaging articles about him.”
Eamonn’s apparent animosity towards his ex-This Morning colleague Phillip and his resentment over his own departure from ITV reportedly drove a wedge between him and his estranged wife Ruth. Things apparently became so intense that it started to create an uncomfortable situation for Ruth, who continues to appear on ITV’s Loose Women.
A source close to Eamonn, who has since found love with 42 year old Katie Alexander, disclosed that the broadcaster doesn’t regret the controversial comments he made publicly, despite the potential negative impact on his marriage. The source told the Daily Mail: “Eamonn’s dislike for Phillip has existed for a long time, but it became very public at the end of his marriage to Ruth. And as his hatred for him and ITV grew, the cracks in their relationship grew deeper.
“Ruth became a bit dismayed at Eamonn for making repeated digs at ITV after they were axed from This Morning. Ruth wasn’t over the moon about it, but given she was still a cemented member of the Loose Women family, it made things somewhat awkward for her to have Eamonn criticising ITV,” they claimed.
The source then further claimed that Eamonn ‘loathes’ Phillip and has no regrets about what he said. “He doesn’t regret any of his behaviour. He believes he [Phil] is addicted to fame and he can’t believe he’s attempted to relaunch himself with his documentary last week.”