EAMONN Holmes was confronted by devastated wife Ruth Langsford after she discovered him chatting on the phone to another woman.
The pair had a showdown and weeks later she found messages on his laptop.
Eamonn Holmes gets help as he leaves a London lunch[/caption]
Ruth Langsford pictured in London for her 65th birthday drinks on Friday[/caption]
Eamonn was confronted by devastated Ruth after she discovered him chatting on the phone to another woman[/caption]
Eamonn, 65, has gone public about his romance with relationship counsellor Katie Alexander, 43[/caption]
A source said: “It was a real kick in the teeth.”
It was the first time Ruth found out Eamonn, 65, was secretly in contact with another woman.
A few weeks later she found messages on his shared laptop — triggering their marriage split.
Eamonn has since gone public about his romance with relationship counsellor Katie Alexander, who at 43 is 22 years his junior.
Ruth turned 65 last Monday during a Caribbean holiday and on Friday celebrated her birthday with friends in London.
Pals say she is keen to finalise a divorce as soon as possible and move on with her life.
A source said of the phone row: “Eamonn thought he was in the house alone while he was chatting on the phone.
“But Ruth could hear him from elsewhere in the house and was totally horrified.
“She confronted Eamonn.
“It was quite a shock — for both of them.
“Eamonn had no idea Ruth was in the house at the time.
“It was a huge blow to Ruth, particularly as she had been devoted to caring for Eamonn during his physical health issues.
“To discover he was sharing intimate chats with another woman was a real kick in the teeth for Ruth.”
The phone call row happened in April last year at their Surrey home.
The following month Ruth found the laptop messages, prompting the couple, who wed in 2010, to announce their separation.
‘Straw that broke the camel’s back’
Revealing their split after 14 years in an exclusive statement to The Sun on Sunday last May, their spokesperson said: “Ruth and Eamonn have confirmed their marriage is over and are in the process of divorcing.”
The source said yesterday: “After the phone call row the marriage limped on for a few weeks until Ruth found the laptop messages.
A source said of the phone row: ‘Eamonn thought he was in the house alone while he was chatting on the phone’[/caption]
Ruth turned 65 last Monday during a Caribbean holiday[/caption]
“It was another awful experience for her and the straw that broke the camel’s back as far as the marriage was concerned.”
At the time Eamonn had talked openly of his health and mobility issues, with Ruth looking after him at home, including getting up in the early hours to help him get ready to go to work hosting the GB News breakfast TV show.
The Sun on Sunday later revealed Eamonn had been showering trips and gifts on Katie including tickets to a Beyoncé concert, Manchester United match tickets and a safari park visit as far back as 2023.
Ruth could hear him from elsewhere in the house and was totally horrified
A source
We also told how he attended a fundraising event at mental health counselling charity Platform 1 — agreeing to become a patron.
The charity is based close to Katie’s Yorkshire home and where she used to work as a therapist.
Katie was also seen at the five-star Brooklands Hotel close to his Surrey home last year.
In September their romance became public when Eamonn and Katie were pictured on a Mediterranean cruise.
After their ship docked in Ibiza he was photographed in a wheelchair, which he used following 2022 back surgery, and was seen cheekily patting Katie’s bottom as they waited for a taxi from the port.
He has taken Katie on a romantic trip to Paris, and to his native Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile Ruth has been embracing the single life.
Last week she celebrated her 65th birthday with close friends during a trip to the Caribbean.
Posting a picture on Instagram of her enjoying a sunset on the beach, she wrote: “So this is 65 . . . thank you for all your lovely birthday messages.”
And she added: “What a birthday.
“Celebrated it in the sunshine with my best pals.”
On Friday she and TV pals Vanessa Feltz and Lizzie Cundy enjoyed a birthday meal at Gaia restaurant in London’s Mayfair.
A source said: “Ruth is determined to get the divorce finalised now as it’s been nearly a year since she and Eamonn separated.”
He left the marital home last year and has been renting a lavish apartment on a private estate nearby.
Eamonn drove to Yorkshire during the Christmas holiday to spend time at Katie’s home.
The presenter has struggled with his health over the past decade and suffers back issues.
He had a double hip replacement in 2016, as well surgery on a slipped disc in 2022.
In January 2023 he broke his shoulder in a fall.
He shares a son Jack, 22, with Ruth, and has three children from his first marriage.
Ruth is determined to get the divorce finalised now as it’s been nearly a year since she and Eamonn separated
A source
Long-serving telly star Eamonn co-hosted breakfast show GMTV for ITV from 1993 to 2005.
Ruth began her TV career at Television South West in Plymouth, England, working as a continuity announcer and newscaster.
In 2000 she became a guest host on This Morning.
She was made a regular on the programme in 2006 alongside Phillip Schofield and went on to become the show’s longest-serving presenter.
Later in 2006 the show introduced Eamonn to co-host with Ruth every Friday and during school holidays.
He had worked for GMTV from 1993 to 2005 when he left for Sky News to present breakfast time show Sunrise until 2016.
Over the years, the couple have hosted a number of shows together, including ITV quiz Gift Wrapped in 2014, Channel 5’s How the Other Half Lives from 2015 to 2017, and dieting series Lose a Stone in Four Weeks, which started on Channel 4 in 2019.
They also presented Eamonn & Ruth’s 7 Year Itch in 2017 and Do The Right Thing with Eamonn and Ruth a year later.
Eamonn has previously joked of their commitment to broadcasting: “Bowing out of TV is not an option for us because how could TV do without us?
“There would be viewer uproar.”
Ruth took part in the 15th series of Strictly Come Dancing in autumn 2017.
She and pro Anton Du Beke were the seventh pair to be eliminated.
In November 2020, Ruth and Eamonn were left furious after being axed from This Morning in favour of Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary.
Ruth remained with ITV becoming a regular host on Loose Women.
Eamonn moved to satellite channel GB News.
Pals say Ruth is keen to finalise a divorce as soon as possible and move on with her life[/caption]
