GB News breakfast host Eamonn Holmes was compelled to issue a live, on-air apology to viewers on Wednesday 7 January 2026 after being reprimanded for using "bad language" during the broadcast.
Live Apology Issued On Air
The incident occurred on his morning show, Breakfast with Eamonn and Ellie, which he fronts alongside co-presenter Ellie Costello. Following an interview with local transport minister Lillian Greenwood, the 66-year-old broadcaster addressed the audience directly after producers informed him of a complaint.
Holmes told viewers: "Not from [Lillian], but apparently there may have been some bad language. It's like being 15 again, being told off. I'm not sure what the bad language was but no one meant to cause any offence."
He added a somewhat sardonic apology, stating: "If you're locked up in a room now, shivering away having heard bad language while your child should have been at school, but watching it and offended - so humbly sorry." Costello echoed the sentiment, simply saying: "We do apologise."
The Trump Discussion That Sparked The Incident
The offensive language stemmed from a segment earlier in the show during a political discussion about former US President Donald Trump and NATO. Holmes had remarked that Trump was "an easy man to irritate" and that he'd like to "annoy him".
After a comment from political commentator Olivia Utley, Holmes continued his critique, referring to Trump: "Oh the b******t from him, he thinks he scares people, shouts at people, they buckle over him whatever it is. I think the thing about him is just to laugh at him."
It was this expletive, broadcast live shortly after 6am, that triggered the complaint and the subsequent on-air reprimand.
A History Of Controversial Remarks
This is not the first time the former This Morning presenter has been forced to say sorry during his tenure at GB News, which began in 2022. In August of the previous year, he sparked outrage with a comment made towards former Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona.
While discussing her cosmetic surgery results on air, Holmes asked if the procedures made her look "Oriental". He later issued a reluctant apology, questioning the world's sensitivity, saying: "Apparently you’re not allowed to describe someone as looking oriental... The world is ridiculous."
The latest incident underscores the ongoing challenges for presenters on live television, where off-the-cuff remarks can quickly lead to controversy and required apologies. Breakfast with Eamonn and Ellie continues to air weekday mornings from 6am on GB News.
