Eamonn Holmes has denied taking a swipe at estranged wife Ruth Langsford after raising eyebrows with comments made during his first public appearance without her.
The GB News host and Loose Women presenter announced their split last month in a statement following 14 years of marriage. This week, Eamonn made his first public appearance at the annual TRIC Awards - an event he usually attended with Ruth at his side - solo.
Eamonn decided to put on a brave face and head to the ceremony, where he was seen using a wheelchair. When he took to the stage to accept an award with his GB News colleagues, Eamonn seemingly made a barbed dig at Ruth. In his acceptance speech, he said: "I got two things in my back that I didn't want," which was taken to mean an operation for his chronic pain and Ruth.
Reports emerged that Ruth, who has been keeping a low profile since the break-up was 'hurt' by the dig. A source has told the MailOnline that “Ruth took Eamonn’s words as a dig at her. She found it unfair and hurtful,” adding that “friends are worried this is going to get very nasty”.
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Now, it has been clarified that Eamonn's quip was not aimed at Ruth. A spokesperson for Eamonn told The Mirror: "Eamonn’s comments had nothing to do with anything other than the two pins in his back after his surgeries."
On Tuesday, Eamonn told the celeb-filled crowd: “Thank you very much for this award. We were up against world class programmes and that makes it a little bit more special. Sometimes we all think about imposter syndrome."
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The broadcaster added: “I went for an operation a year and a half ago and it went wrong. I got two things in my back that I didn’t want.” Eamonn spoke to The Mirror during the starry bash, where he got very candid about his recent split. He admitted: “I’m not OK. This is not a good time at all," and confessed of his relationship with Ruth: “It’s too early to say but I hope we can still be friends.”
While Eamonn made his first public appearance, Ruth has kept a low profile in recent weeks - opting to step down temporarily from her role on Loose Women. Eagle-eyed fans have noted that she has so far refused to take off her wedding ring.
In the weeks since announcing their split, Ruth has been seen still sporting her glistening engagement and wedding rings. Last week, she enjoyed a night out when she attended Giovanni Pernice and Anton du Beke's London stage show. Ruth was invited by her close friend Anton, 57, and beamed as she posed in a photo beside him at the end of the night.
It came after reports relationship counsellor Katie Alexander, 42, had been seen with Eamonn on several occasions over the past year and has also been photographed at his residence. Recently, she has been assisting Eamonn through his separation from Ruth, but her mates are keen to stress that their bond only strengthened after his marriage ended.
A source told The Mirror that Eamonn's new friend is in it for the long haul. The source close to Katie said: "She is helping Eamonn through the tough times but doesn't want to be seen as a marriage wrecker. The friendship has grown in recent months but Eamonn's marriage has been over for some time. She wants to help Eamonn with his situation and their friendship has grown over a period of time. She feels she will be close to him for a long period and is in this for the long haul."
Former This Morning star Eamonn reportedly left his home in Surrey last month, following revelations that his wife discovered messages from another woman on a laptop. Eamonn first connected with Katie back in 2015 after she replied to one of his posts. In October, he showed up at a fundraising event for a charity in Yorkshire, not far from where Katie resides, and has since become a patron. Katie has been involved with the charity, offering her services as a therapist.
The Mirror has contacted Ruth and Eamonn's representatives for comment.
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