Eamonn Holmes has sparked concern after admitting he is "on borrowed time" since splitting up with Ruth Langsford.
In news which sent shockwaves through the showbiz industry, the former This Morning stars, 64, announced they had called time on their marriage and were heading for divorce.
Eamonn has kept fairly quiet since the split, but opened up about his health at the TRIC Awards yesterday, which he attended for the first time without Ruth.
Speaking to the Mirror, he said: "I’m not OK. This is not a good time at all.” The dad-of-four, who arrived at the awards in a high-tech wheelchair at the ceremony, then admitted feeling as if he is on “borrowed time”, as his father died at the age of 65 from a fatal heart attack in 1991.
The presenter has battled multiple heath issues over the past few years, including one which he said left him 'looking he'd been hit over the face with a baseball bat'...
Shingles
Eamonn was struck down with the viral infection that causes a painful rash in 2018, saying he looked "as if someone had taken a baseball bat to my face". The star believed his severe Shingles had been brought on by a "stressful tax row", which saw him battle with HMRC over whether he was classed as staff or a freelancer as a presenter at This Morning.
"It was bloody scary to see it," he told The Sun. "It looked as if someone had taken a baseball bat to my face and smashed me about a bit." More terrifyingly, Eamonn said the infection could have caused him to go blind.
"Blindness could have been a complication in my case," he said. "The doctor said it's really bad for you because it's around your eyes, and could be bad for your ophthalmic nerves. Medically, it was pretty serious."
Double hip replacement
Eamonn opened up about his "life-changing" hip replacement, which he had in 2016, after revealing he refused the surgery for three decades. Writing for The Telegraph, he said: "Waiting was the worst decision I ever made. After having both of mine replaced seven years ago, aged 55, I haven't had a single regret: in fact, it's been life-changing."
The major surgery was carried out in a bid to tackle the Northern Irishman's excruciating hip, leg and back pain he had secretly suffered for more than 20 years. Eamonn was speaking about the surgery after Oasis frontman, Liam Gallagher, said he didn't want to have the operation himself because he was concerned about the 'stigma'.
However, rather than judging the Beady Eye star, the presenter sympathised with Liam, saying: "In the newsroom, when we heard that he needed the operation due to arthritis, most of my colleagues laughed. They were all tickled by the idea of a rocker like him being confronted with being 'over the hill'– but I saw nothing remotely funny about it."
Eamonn went on to reveal how he'd suffered pre-surgery, saying people who don't experience severe hip, leg or back pain aren't aware of how chronic it is, or "the sleepless nights or not being able to drive, let alone do anything more physically active."
Spinal surgery
In 2021, Eamonn told his followers: “Those of you who follow me on social media will know [that] about a month ago I did something to my back. I don’t know how I did it – getting into the car, getting out of a car, getting out of bed, whatever. I’ve got an MRI scan, but the trouble is, everything closes for Easter, I haven’t got it analysed yet, but what I do know is, I can’t sleep at night.”
Eamonn revealed the pain in his back intensified during the night, and urged sufferers of chronic pain to talk to each other and consult medical experts.
Eventually, the star discovered the cause of his pain was due to three slipped discs, which resulted in him needed spinal surgery in September 2022. However, after the operation, there was sadly more woe to come for Eamonn...
Broken shoulder
The veteran presenter admitted the spinal surgery he had in 2022 has set him back rather than improved his health as he returned to air on GB News show, Breakfast with Eamonn and Isabel, after taking several months off.
Looking thoroughly fed up, he told viewers: "Basically, I can't walk. I can do everything... everything above here [gesturing to his waist] works, but it's the legs. Co-host Isabel Webster said: "The op that you had has set you back, at the moment." Eamonn replied: "Yes, it's set me back and it made me fall down stairs. My leg gave way and I fell down 18 stairs. So I fell down the spiral staircase, smashed my right shoulder."
The father-of-four added: "The first thing you did was lean on my shoulder" to which Isabel laughed: "I won't be doing that again or you'll be off for another four months."
Needing a mobility scooter
Eamonn occasionally relies on a mobility scooter. However, his new mode of transport has led to mixed reactions from the public on social media.
Speaking to Best magazine in September, he said: “Some people were mocking me on social media... ‘Oh, look at Eamonn, he’s in a mobility scooter!’ I replied, saying, ‘I would prefer if I wasn’t in it but how else would I have got around?’ The alternative is I don’t go anywhere, and I sit in my armchair, work in the office. So, I go out... It’s mentally uplifting to get out.”
The star shared a snap of himself sitting on the vehicle, eating an ice cream while on holiday in the US. Sharing the photo in September, Eamonn wrote: "That was me on holiday last month in USA, getting around using my mobility scooter. 13 years since my spinal fusion.
Despite some cruel comments, the majority of Eamonn's followers wished him well as one said: "Hope you are keeping well Eamonn. Wishing you all the love. While another said: "Wow Eamonn, so sorry to see you having to use a mobility scooter. Hope that you can manage your pain soon."
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