GB News breakfast show host Eamonn Holmes is navigating an intensely challenging period in his life, with a combination of personal strife and professional pressures taking a significant toll. Colleagues at the broadcaster have reported that the 65-year-old presenter is often in a foul mood and increasingly clashing with colleagues behind the scenes.
Mounting Personal and Financial Pressures
The broadcaster's difficulties have been compounded by a series of personal setbacks. He is dealing with his divorce from Ruth Langsford after 27 years together, a plethora of health problems, and significant financial woes. HMRC has demanded a further £250,000 in back pay from his time hosting Sky's Sunrise, contesting his previous status as a freelancer. Eamonn has stated that these financial issues have ruined him.
Sources close to the situation confirm that the mounting pressure is affecting his demeanour at work. One source revealed, 'He's in a foul mood, and everyone behind the scenes feels it. He is clashing with people all the time. People's patience is wearing a bit thin.' This comes despite the fact he has moved on with therapist girlfriend Katie Alexander, 43.
A History of High-Profile Feuds
This is not the first time Eamonn's interpersonal relationships have come under scrutiny. He has been involved in a series of well-documented feuds with prominent figures in the television industry over the years.
Phillip Schofield
The most publicised of these conflicts is his ongoing feud with Phillip Schofield, which intensified following Schofield's departure from ITV over an affair with a younger male colleague. Eamonn has openly shared his dislike for the former This Morning host. Sources suggest Phillip believes Eamonn's 'personal vendetta' stems from being axed from the show's Friday slot, a claim denied by Eamonn's camp.
Fiona Phillips and Martin Frizell
During their time co-hosting GMTV, it was claimed that Eamonn and Fiona Phillips 'couldn't stand each other'. More recently, Eamonn reportedly clashed with Fiona's husband, ITV boss Martin Frizell, in an incident dubbed 'Bauble-gate'. The disagreement over gifting a Christmas bauble to Nicola Sturgeon on This Morning is believed by insiders to have marked the 'beginning of the end' for Eamonn and Ruth on the programme, leading to their eventual axing in 2020.
Anthea Turner
Eamonn's relationship with Anthea Turner famously nosedived during their GMTV days in the 1990s, culminating in an ultimatum that preceded her departure. He once branded her 'Princess Tippy Toes'. However, the pair have since reconciled, even appearing together on This Morning and posting a friendly snap on Instagram earlier this year.
Other Notable Clashes
Other figures who have had public disagreements with Eamonn include Lorraine Kelly, whom he referenced in his tax dispute, noting she successfully argued she was playing a 'character' on TV. He also revealed a childhood 'feud' with singer Donny Osmond, though he later found him to be kind. An interview with David Cassidy in 2015 turned tense when the singer accused Eamonn of 'rubbishing' him. Most painfully, it was revealed that Eamonn has experienced a fall-out with his son Niall, who has reportedly sided with Ruth following the split.
With a perfect storm of financial, health, and personal relationship issues, Eamonn Holmes finds himself in what insiders describe as a 'difficult place', with the pressure visibly impacting his professional life at GB News.
