Insiders close to Phillip Schofield have dished out details on Eamonn Holmes’ exit from This Morning, blaming the surprise departure on low ratings and ITV chief Martin Frizell’s disapproval of Eamonn’s on-air eating habits, which they believe led to his dismissal.
Shockingly, reports also quoted Phillip referring to Martin as one of the “three s**ts,” that also included ITV’s Emma Gormley and former colleague Holly Willoughby.
Eamonn Holmes and his spouse Ruth Langsford, both 64, were stalwarts of the Friday morning slot for 14 years until their abrupt replacement in late 2020. A source disclosed: “Eamonn and Ruth leaving was all down to ratings and because Martin joked that he couldn’t bear to watch him eat on TV.”
Further insights from the insider suggest Martin’s distaste for Eamonn enjoying the cooking segments became a source of entertainment topic off-camera: “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.”
While crew members supposedly held high affection for Ruth, Eamonn was not regarded with equal fondness. Despite earlier suggestions that Eamonn’s appearances drew substantial audience numbers, outperforming other hosts on Fridays, he departed for GB News following his substitution by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, reports the Mirror.
In a revealing interview from January 2022, Eamonn Holmes didn’t hold back his feelings, 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.”
However, friends close to the matter have countered Holmes’ claims, insisting: “Contrary to Eamonn’s narrative, Phillip had no problem with his former co-host until Eamonn started to write disparaging articles about him.”
The growing animosity between Eamonn and his erstwhile colleague Phillip Schofield, coupled with his acrimonious departure from ITV, appears to have cast a pall over his relationship with then-wife Ruth Langsford. Sources indicate that the tension was so intense it created an uncomfortable environment for Ruth, who remains on Loose Women.
A confidante of Eamonn, who is now bow romantically linked with 42-year-old Katie Alexander, has said that the broadcaster does not regret his candid comments despite the pressure it placed on his marriage.
A 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.”
A source has disclosed that Ruth Langsford was reportedly less than impressed with Eamonn Holmes’ frequent pointed remarks about ITV after the couple were let go from ‘This Morning’. “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,” the source revealed.
The informant also suggested that Eamonn holds a strong animosity towards Phillip Schofield and is unapologetic about his sentiments. “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.”