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Eamonn Holmes (; born 3 December 1959)Holmes receives honorary degree
BBC News, 4 July 2006 is a
Northern Irish Northern Irish people is a demonym for all people born in Northern Ireland or people who are entitled to reside in Northern Ireland without any restriction on their period of residence. Most Northern Irish people either identify as Northern ...
broadcaster and former journalist. Holmes co-presented ''
GMTV GMTV (an acronym for Good Morning Television), now legally known as ITV Breakfast Broadcasting Limited, was the name of the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor/licensee, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 ...
'' for twelve years between 1993 and 2005, before presenting ''
Sky News Sunrise ''Sunrise'' was a British weekday breakfast programme which was broadcast on Sky News from 6 February 1989 to 13 October 2019. The programme was replaced by '' The Early Rundown'' (Monday-Friday), '' Kay Burley @ Breakfast'' (Monday-Thursday ...
'' for eleven years between 2005 and 2016. From 2006 until August 2021, he co-hosted '' This Morning'' with his wife Ruth Holmes on Fridays, during the school holidays only. In January 2022, Holmes joined ''
GB News GB News is a British free-to-air television and radio channel. The channel is available on Freeview, Freesat, Sky, YouView, Virgin Media and via the internet. Since 4 January 2022, an audio simulcast of the station is available on DAB+ radio ...
'' to present its breakfast programme alongside
Isabel Webster Isabel Webster is a British television presenter and newsreader, who currently co-hosts GB News Breakfast alongside Eamonn Holmes. Until December 2017, Webster co-hosted ''Sunrise'' on Sky News, alongside Stephen Dixon. Early life and educ ...
. He has also presented ''
How the Other Half Lives ''How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York'' (1890) is an early publication of photojournalism by Jacob Riis, documenting squalid living conditions in New York City slums in the 1880s. The photographs served as a basis ...
'' (2015–present) and ''
It's Not Me, It's You ''It's Not Me, It's You'' is the second studio album by English singer Lily Allen, released on 4 February 2009 by Regal Recordings and Parlophone. It was produced and co-written by Greg Kurstin, with whom Allen had previously worked on her deb ...
'' (2016) for Channel 5. Holmes is an advocate of numerous charities and causes including
Dogs Trust Dogs Trust, known until 2003 as the National Canine Defence League, is a British animal welfare charity and humane society which specialises in the well-being of dogs. It is the largest dog welfare charity in the United Kingdom, caring for ov ...
, Variety GB and Northern Ireland Kidney Patients' Association.


Early life and education

Holmes was educated at Holy Family Primary School Passed/Failed: An education in the life of Eamonn Holmes, television presenter
''The Independent'', 28 June 2007 and
St Malachy's College St Malachy's College, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is the oldest Catholic diocesan college in Ulster. The college's alumni and students are known as Malachians. History The college, founded by Bishop William Crolly, opened on the feast of Sai ...
, Belfast.


Career


Early career

Before entering broadcasting, Holmes worked for a
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
-based business magazine. In 1979, he joined
Ulster Television UTV (formerly Ulster Television, branded on air as ITV1) is the ITV region covering Northern Ireland, ITV subsidiary and the former on-air name of the free-to-air public broadcast television channel serving the area. It is run by ITV plc an ...
, the ITV franchise contractor for Northern Ireland working as a host and reporter for the station's ''Farming Ulster'' programme. Afterwards, he teamed up with Ulster Television's sports reporters, Leslie Dawes (1922–2014) and
Jackie Fullerton John Alexander Fullerton,
Belfast Telegraph: 15 May 2003; accessed 19 Jan ...
, to assist in covering sporting events in the province. In 1982, Holmes was moved into news and current affairs reporting when he was tasked to anchor Ulster Television's flagship ''Good Evening Ulster'' programme. Holmes succeeded
Gloria Hunniford Mary Winifred Gloria Hunniford, OBE (born 10 April 1940) is a Northern Irish television and radio presenter, broadcaster and singer. She is known for presenting programmes on the BBC and ITV, such as '' Rip Off Britain'', and her regular appea ...
who had presented the show since its launch in 1979. Holmes was the third choice to present the programme after trial runs by news reporters Gary Gillespie and Gerry Kelly. In addition to his news and current affairs role, Holmes has also hosted other Ulster Television productions, including ''Miss Northern Ireland'' gala specials in 1985 and 1986. With Ulster Television, he won a Hometown Radio Award. He departed in 1986 to join the BBC. At the corporation's Manchester studios, Holmes worked as a presenter on the daytime ''
Open Air Open air, open-air or openair may refer to: *'' Open Air'', a BBC television program * Open-air cinema or outdoor cinema * Open-air concert, a concert taking place outside *Open-air museum, a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out- ...
'' programme which was broadcast nationally on
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
.


Television presenting

Holmes has presented coverage of
snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sports, cue sport played on a Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets, one at each corner and o ...
,
horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
,
darts Darts or dart-throwing is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small projectile point, sharp-pointed projectile, missiles known as dart (missile), darts at a round shooting target, target known as a #Dartboard, dar ...
and
tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
on television.Eamonn Holmes
Feelgood Factor, ITV, 2009. He was also the presenter of ITV's coverage of the Phil Taylor vs.
Raymond van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld (born 20 April 1967) is a Dutch professional darts player. Nicknamed Barney, although originally known as The Man, he is one of the most successful darts players in history. Van Barneveld is a five-time World Darts Champ ...
showdown at the
Wembley Conference Centre Wembley Conference Centre was a conference centre in Wembley Park, London, England, that existed from 1977 to 2006, located next to Wembley Arena. History In the later 1970s, modern multi-purpose halls began opening in British towns and cities. ...
in 1999.Filmography HOLMES, Eamonn
BFI – Film & TV Database In 1993, Holmes started working at ''
GMTV GMTV (an acronym for Good Morning Television), now legally known as ITV Breakfast Broadcasting Limited, was the name of the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor/licensee, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 ...
'', hosting the first show on 1 January 1993 with Anne Davies. He had a falling-out with his subsequent co-host
Anthea Turner Anthea Turner (born 25 May 1960) is an English former television presenter. She was a host of ''Blue Peter'' from 1992 until 1994, and of ''GMTV'' from 1994 until 1996. Early life Turner was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, and educated ...
; however, they were reunited on a BBC NI show entitled ''The Friday Show'' in 2009. Holmes presented the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
National Lottery game show ''
Jet Set In journalism, jet set is a term for an international social group of wealthy people who travel the world to participate in social activities unavailable to ordinary people. The term, which replaced "café society", came from the lifestyle of tra ...
'' between 2001 and 2007. In April 2005, he left ''
GMTV GMTV (an acronym for Good Morning Television), now legally known as ITV Breakfast Broadcasting Limited, was the name of the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor/licensee, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 ...
'', stating the show had run out of real news and became celebrity obsessed shortly before his departure. After leaving ''
GMTV GMTV (an acronym for Good Morning Television), now legally known as ITV Breakfast Broadcasting Limited, was the name of the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor/licensee, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 ...
'' in April 2005, Holmes joined Sky News six months later to present the new-look ''
Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology Al ...
'' programme. He initially hosted the show with
Lorna Dunkley Lorna Dunkley (born 23 February 1972 in Cirencester) is an English newsreader, television presenter and journalist. Until July 2016, she was a news anchor for '' Sky News'', Sky's 24-hour television news network and hosted the weekend afternoon ...
between October 2005 and January 2007, then with
Charlotte Hawkins Charlotte Mary Hawkins (born 16 May 1975) is an English television and radio presenter, newsreader and journalist. Hawkins joined ITV's ''Meridian Tonight'' in 2003, hosting its main news programme, leaving in 2006 to become co-presenter of ...
from 2007 to 2014. Hawkins joined
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
in March 2014 and was replaced by
Isabel Webster Isabel Webster is a British television presenter and newsreader, who currently co-hosts GB News Breakfast alongside Eamonn Holmes. Until December 2017, Webster co-hosted ''Sunrise'' on Sky News, alongside Stephen Dixon. Early life and educ ...
. In September 2016, Holmes announced his departure from the programme after eleven years. Holmes presented '' SUDO-Q'', a
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
quiz show between December 2005 and March 2007. In 2006, Holmes began presenting
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
daytime programme '' This Morning'' on Friday mornings until 2021. In December 2021, Holmes ended his contractual obligations with '' This Morning'', meaning that the husband and wife duo no longer presented the show during school or bank holidays. In 2006, Holmes hosted US game show '' The Rich List''. In 2009, Holmes co-presented the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
series ''The Feelgood Factor'' with
Myleene Klass Myleene Angela Klass (born 6 April 1978) is a British musician, singer, presenter, model and businesswoman. She was a member of the pop group Hear'Say, and later released two solo classical crossover albums in 2003 and 2007. More recently, Klass ...
. He presented eight episodes of '' Songs of Praise'' from 2009 until 2014. In 2010, Holmes guest presented an episode of '' Have I Got News for You''. In 2014, Holmes and Ruth Langsford co-hosted a 10-part
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
daytime game show, '' Gift Wrapped''. In 2015, Holmes and Langsford presented a six-part factual series for Channel 5 entitled '' Eamonn & Ruth: How the Other Half Lives''. The programme returned for a second series in September 2016 and a third in June 2017. In 2016, Holmes presented Channel 5 panel show ''
It's Not Me, It's You ''It's Not Me, It's You'' is the second studio album by English singer Lily Allen, released on 4 February 2009 by Regal Recordings and Parlophone. It was produced and co-written by Greg Kurstin, with whom Allen had previously worked on her deb ...
''.
Vicky Pattison Victoria Pattison (born 16 November 1987) is a British television personality, media personality and author. She is best known for appearing in the MTV shows '' Geordie Shore'' from 2011 until 2014, '' Ex on the Beach'' in 2014 and 2015 and her ...
and
Kelly Brook Kelly Ann Parsons (born 23 November 1979), known professionally as Kelly Brook, is an English model, actress, and media personality. She is known for her modelling work in the UK, and in the US for her role as Prudence on the NBC sitcom '' On ...
were team captains on the show. Holmes was one of 3 relief presenters on Good Morning Britain between 2017 and 2018. From March 2018, Holmes co-presented ''Do the Right Thing'' with
Ruth Langsford Ruth Wendy Holmes (née; Langsford; born 17 March 1960) is an English television presenter. She has presented various television shows, including '' This Morning'' (1999–present) in which she is the longest serving presenter, '' Gift Wrapped ...
on Channel 5. In December 2021 it was announced that Holmes was joining ''
GB News GB News is a British free-to-air television and radio news channel. The channel is available on Freeview, Freesat, Sky, YouView, Virgin Media and via the internet. Since 4 January 2022, an audio simulcast of the station is available on DAB+ ...
''. It was later announced that he would present its new breakfast show with
Isabel Webster Isabel Webster is a British television presenter and newsreader, who currently co-hosts GB News Breakfast alongside Eamonn Holmes. Until December 2017, Webster co-hosted ''Sunrise'' on Sky News, alongside Stephen Dixon. Early life and educ ...
from 4th January 2022. in February 2020, Holmes lost a First Tier Tribunal (FTT) appeal regarding his status as a freelancer under
IR35 IR35 refers to the United Kingdom's anti-avoidance tax legislation, the intermediaries legislation contained in Chapter 8 of Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003. The legislation is designed to tax 'disguised' employment at a rate similar ...
rules, with the judge determining his contract with ITV's ''This Morning'' programme amounted to employment. Giving evidence in the proceedings, Holmes described himself as "..one of the best live television presenters in the country."


Other television work

In 2001, Holmes appeared on ''
Lily Savage's Blankety Blank ''Blankety Blank'' is a British comedy game show which started in 1979 and is still running today, albeit with some sizeable gaps. The original series ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC1, hosted first by Terry Wogan from 1979 un ...
''. In 2013, Holmes was a judge on the
CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the bran ...
'' Blue Peter'' talent search for a new presenter, ''Blue Peter – You Decide''. Holmes has made four appearances on the long-running game show ''
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (often informally called ''Millionaire'') is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and ...
''. The first time, he played with Alex Ferguson on 25 December 2004. On 25 August and 1 September 2007, he played with
Kay Burley Kay Burley (born Kay McGurrin; 17 December 1960) is a British broadcaster and writer. She is a presenter on Sky News and hosts '' Kay Burley'', the breakfast slot on the channel. She also worked for BBC Local Radio, Tyne Tees Television, and ...
. On 20 May 2012, he returned with
Ruth Langsford Ruth Wendy Holmes (née; Langsford; born 17 March 1960) is an English television presenter. She has presented various television shows, including '' This Morning'' (1999–present) in which she is the longest serving presenter, '' Gift Wrapped ...
by his side. Finally, on 19 December 2013, to celebrate the end of ''Millionaire'' on
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
, Holmes re-appeared on the show with Alex Ferguson. Holmes has also appeared on celebrity editions of game shows including ''
Fifteen to One ''Fifteen to One'' is a British general knowledge quiz show broadcast on Channel 4. It originally ran from 11 January 1988 to 19 December 2003 and had a reputation for being one of the toughest quizzes on TV. Throughout the show's original run ...
'', ''
Call My Bluff ''Call My Bluff'' is a British panel game show based on the short-lived US version of the same name. It was originally hosted by Robin Ray and later, most notably, by Robert Robinson. Its most prominent panellist was Frank Muir. Format The g ...
'', ''
All Star Mr & Mrs ''All Star Mr & Mrs'' is a British television show which first began airing on 12 April 2008 on ITV. It is a celebrity revival of the original '' Mr and Mrs'' that aired on ITV from 1968 to 1988 with two separate revivals in 1995–1996 and 1 ...
'', '' Tipping Point: Lucky Stars'', ''
Catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
'' and '' The Chase''. Holmes has also made regular appearances on ''
Big Brother's Bit on the Side This is a complete list of shows about and relating to ''Big Brother UK'' and ''Celebrity Big Brother''. The civilian edition ran from 2000 to 2018 and the celebrity edition ran from 2001 to 2018. ''Big Brother'' ''Big Brother'' was a daily sho ...
'' and in 2015, he was heavily tipped as a housemate for ''
Celebrity Big Brother 16 ''Celebrity Big Brother 16'', also known as ''Celebrity Big Brother: UK vs USA'', was the sixteenth series of the British reality television series ''Celebrity Big Brother'', hosted by Emma Willis and narrated by Marcus Bentley. The series launc ...
''. He has been a panellist on numerous episodes of ''
Through the Keyhole ''Through the Keyhole'' is a British comedy panel game show created by the TV producer Kevin Sim and originally presented by Sir David Frost in the studio and Loyd Grossman on location. The location presenter goes around celebrities' houses and ...
'' and appeared in ITV's '' Guess the Star'' in 2017. Since November 2017, he has provided the voiceover for ''Biggleton'' on
CBeebies CBeebies is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 years and under. Its sister channel CBBC is aimed at older childr ...
. On 19 September 2021, Eamonn Holmes was featured on " The Meaning of Life" on RTE Television, Ireland.


Radio

Holmes' foray into radio broadcasting was at Downtown Radio, Northern Ireland's first commercial independent radio station, in the late 1980s. From around 2003, Holmes presented ''The Eamonn Holmes Show'' on
Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that broadcasts mainly news, sport, discussion, interviews and phone-ins. It is the principal BBC radio station covering sport in the United Kingdom, broadcas ...
on Saturday mornings between 9 and 11 am for 6 years, last airing on 30 May 2009 as Holmes' contract with the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
was not renewed. In 2005, Holmes hosted his own programme on London radio station
Magic 105.4 Magic Radio is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer. The station is available on 105.4 FM in London and across the UK on Digital Radio, on the Magic Radio app, television and online. It had previously been a part of a ...
. For a few weeks in 2008, Holmes took over
Michael Parkinson Sir Michael Parkinson (born 28 March 1935) is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his television talk show '' Parkinson'' from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other talk shows and programmes both in the U ...
's Sunday morning show on Radio 2.Eamonn Holmes – This is his Surrey life
Surrey Life, March 2008 In 2016, Holmes presented his own radio show on
talkRADIO TalkRadio (previously styled as talkRADIO) is a talk radio station broadcasting nationally in the United Kingdom, which was relaunched on 21 March 2016. Based in London and owned by Wireless Group, a subsidiary of News Corp., it is the sist ...
. The show was called ''Let's Talk With Eamonn Holmes'' and was broadcast on Saturdays from 6am to 8am and Sundays from 11am to 1pm. From January 2018 till February 2020, Holmes presented the weekday drivetime show on
talkRADIO TalkRadio (previously styled as talkRADIO) is a talk radio station broadcasting nationally in the United Kingdom, which was relaunched on 21 March 2016. Based in London and owned by Wireless Group, a subsidiary of News Corp., it is the sist ...
.


Other work

Holmes writes a column for ''
The People The ''Sunday People'' is a British tabloid Sunday newspaper. It was founded as ''The People'' on 16 October 1881. At one point owned by Odhams Press, The ''People'' was acquired along with Odhams by the Mirror Group in 1961, along with the ...
'' newspaper. His
autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
was released in May 2006. The autobiography is called ''This is MY Life'', a reference to another famous Irish Eamonn –
Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ ...
, after whom he was named.Eamonn Holmes: My Life In Media
''The Independent'', 10 July 2006 The book reveals some of what occurred behind the scenes during his tenure at GMTV.


Controversies

In November 2009, Jon Culshaw appeared as Holmes on '' The Impressions Show'' in a series of three comedy sketches in which he was portrayed as having an appetite so uncontrollable that he eats a sofa, flowers and even a guest (
Frankie Dettori Lanfranco Dettori (; born 15 December 1970), better known as Frankie Dettori, is an Italian horse racing jockey based in the United Kingdom. Dettori has been British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and has ...
), using the catchphrase 'I was fierce hungry, so I was'. Although Holmes had interviewed Culshaw and his co-star
Debra Stephenson Debra Stephenson (born 4 June 1972) is an English actress, comedian, impressionist and singer, best known for her roles as Diane Powell in ''Playing the Field'', Shell Dockley in '' Bad Girls'' and as Frankie Baldwin in ''Coronation Street''. ...
on '' This Morning'' to promote the show, after the programme aired the presenter instructed his lawyers to send a letter of complaint to the BBC. The letter resulted in an apology from the BBC along with a withdrawal of any future comedy sketches featuring Holmes. Both the complaint itself and the outcome of Holmes's legal action drew generally unfavourable criticism from media observers and online commentators. While presenting ''This Morning'' in October 2011, Holmes described singer
Jonathan Wilkes Jonathan Wilkes (born 1 August 1978) is an English television presenter and singer. Early life and career Jonathan Wilkes was born in Baddeley Green, Stoke-on-Trent, to Eileen Wilkes and Graham Wilkes, and spent most of his childhood in ...
as "retarded" on air. He later apologised after complaints and calls for him to be sacked. Holmes said: "I have to say sorry to three or four of you who are upset because I used the word retarded. You seem to have taken it personally or think I am being insulting. I would never want to do that. There is this man who has an autistic child and said I insulted his child. I would never use it in that context. Sorry if that caused you offence". In October 2011, Holmes provoked criticism by suggesting that a rape victim should take taxis in future, leading to accusations of
victim blaming Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them. There is historical and current prejudice against the victims of domestic violence and sex crimes, such as ...
. A spokeswoman for ITV said: "Eamonn was in no way suggesting that the victim was in any way to blame for this horrific attack. His interview was carried out with the utmost care and compassion and his comments were intended to highlight safety advice." On 12 May 2016, Holmes provoked criticism by comparing an attack by West Ham fans to the
Hillsborough disaster The Hillsborough disaster was a fatal human crush during a football match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989. It occurred during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the ...
. He later issued an apology and said that there was "no comparison" between the events at West Ham and Hillsborough. In January 2020, Holmes was criticised after making remarks about Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. One viewer complained to
Ofcom The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-ranging powers acros ...
that his description of Meghan Markle as "uppity" was a racist term to describe her. In a subsequent interview on
talkRADIO TalkRadio (previously styled as talkRADIO) is a talk radio station broadcasting nationally in the United Kingdom, which was relaunched on 21 March 2016. Based in London and owned by Wireless Group, a subsidiary of News Corp., it is the sist ...
, Holmes called her "awful, woke, weak, manipulative, spoilt and irritating" and said he did not think he would like her, despite saying he had never met her in person. In April 2020, Holmes appeared to perpetuate the conspiracy theory that the building of 5G masts had led to the
coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...
. In a feature on ''This Morning'' surrounding "Fake News" related to the virus Holmes said that he "didn't accept mainstream media immediately slapping it down". He suggested that it was a sign of an "enquiring mind" to investigate the theory which had already been much debunked by experts. However, Holmes said that "it suits the state narrative" to deny the theory. Ofcom announced that it was investigating the incident. Holmes read a statement on the following day's programme which stated: "There is no connection between the present national health emergency and 5G, and to suggest otherwise would be wrong and indeed it could be dangerous." Ofcom received more than 400 complaints about the incident and later issued guidance to ITV on its coverage of the pandemic. Ofcom commented: "In our view, Eamonn Holmes' ambiguous comments were ill-judged and risked undermining viewers' trust in advice from public authorities and scientific evidence."


Personal life

In 1985, Holmes married his first wife, Gabrielle Holmes, with whom he has three children, Declan, Rebecca and Niall. They separated in 1994, due to Holmes' father's death and
journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...
career taking a toll on their marriage. On 26 June 2010, Holmes married
Ruth Langsford Ruth Wendy Holmes (née; Langsford; born 17 March 1960) is an English television presenter. She has presented various television shows, including '' This Morning'' (1999–present) in which she is the longest serving presenter, '' Gift Wrapped ...
at Elvetham Hall, near
Hartley Wintney Hartley Wintney is a large village and civil parish in the Hart district of Hampshire, England. It lies about northwest of Fleet and east of Basingstoke. The parish includes the smaller contiguous village of Phoenix Green as well as the ham ...
,
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
.Holmes and partner Ruth walk down aisle
''The Belfast Telegraph'', 26 June 2010 The couple sold exclusive rights to report on the wedding ceremony and the reception to '' Hello!'' magazine in a deal that saw the publication feature the event over two issues, in July 2010. In 2006, Holmes was awarded an
honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
by
Queen's University Belfast , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...
. He has also received an honorary degree from the
University of Staffordshire , mottoeng = Dare to know , type = Public , endowment = £70 million (2015) , administrative_staff = 1,375 , chancellor = Francis Fitzherbert, 15th Baron Stafford , vice_chancellor = Professor Martin Jones , ...
. Holmes is a supporter of Manchester United."He has a passion for John Wayne movies"
''The Belfast Telegraph'', 26 April 1996 In December 2005, he opened the eulogies at the funeral of Northern Irish footballer
George Best George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United. A highly skilful dribbler, Best is regarded as one of the greatest p ...
. Holmes and Langsford are patrons of
Dogs Trust Dogs Trust, known until 2003 as the National Canine Defence League, is a British animal welfare charity and humane society which specialises in the well-being of dogs. It is the largest dog welfare charity in the United Kingdom, caring for ov ...
. and the couple adopted their dog, Maggie from the charity in 2011. In 2014, the couple supported the Dementia Friends campaign, which is an
Alzheimer's Society Alzheimer's Society is a United Kingdom care and research charity for people with dementia and their carers. It operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while its sister charitieAlzheimer Scotlandand Alzheimer's Society of Ireland cover ...
initiative. In April 2015, Holmes became a celebrity ambassador for the children's charity, Variety GB. In January 2016, he became a patron of Northern Ireland Kidney Patients' Association. In March 2020, he and Langsford became patrons of The Amy May Trust. In 2018 the Twitter accounts of both Holmes and
Louis Theroux Louis Sebastian Theroux (; born 20 May 1970) is a British-American documentarian, journalist, broadcaster, and author. He has received two British Academy Television Awards and a Royal Television Society Television Award. After graduating fro ...
were targeted by Insinia Security to highlight a longstanding security flaw in Twitter's system. On 26 October 2021, Holmes said that he had tested positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
; he was fully vaccinated.


Filmography

;Television ;Film ;Radio


Awards and honours

Holmes was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(OBE) for services to broadcasting in the
2018 New Year Honours The 2018 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...
. He collected his OBE from
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
on 1 June 2018.


References


External links

*
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, Eamonn 1959 births Living people BBC Radio 5 Live presenters British game show hosts British sports broadcasters Irish expatriates in the United Kingdom Officers of the Order of the British Empire Mass media people from Belfast People educated at St Malachy's College Sky News newsreaders and journalists GMTV presenters and reporters Television presenters from Northern Ireland UTV (TV channel) GB News newsreaders and journalists