The real reason Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford were replaced on This Morning by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary has reportedly been ‘revealed’.
Telly legend Eamonn, 64, was a regular on the hit programme – having first appeared way back in 2006. He then hosted the Friday edition of the show alongside his wife Ruth for 15 years together.
But in late 2020, it was revealed the married duo had been let go from their This Morning presenting role to make way for a new panel. National treasure Alison and showbiz veteran Dermot soon took over in early 2021.
Now, a few years later, it’s been claimed that Eamonn – who now hosts a show on GB News – left This Morning due to “low ratings”.
Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford on This Morning
Ruth and Eamonn were firm favourites until their shock exit on the daytime show.
Speaking to The Sun, a source has alleged that a drop in ratings was the reason for Eamonn’s exit. The insider also claimed that another reason was that the show boss Martin Frizell “disliked” the way Eamonn ate on TV.
“Eamonn and Ruth leaving was all down to ratings – and because Martin joked that he couldn’t bear to watch him eat on TV,” they said.
Eamonn Holmes ‘was not as popular’
The source went on: “Chefs do cooking segments on This Morning and Martin’s dislike of the sight of Eamonn chomping on whatever had been cooked up became a joke that he shared among people working on the show.
“Ruth was a delight and was loved by the team. Eamonn was not as popular.”
Previously, a source close to Eamonn claimed that his This Morning stint was rated well compared to other presenters on a Friday.
Eamonn Holmes on This Morning exit
Back in January 2022, Eamonn hinted at his upset over his This Morning exit. He told MailOnline: “They’re sly.
“They didn’t want to announce that I’d been dropped because it would adversely affect audience figures. So they made it look as if I’d walked away from them rather than the other way round.”
Meanwhile, in March 2022, he hit out at his former employer telling The Guardian that they didn’t treat him “with respect”.
Eamonn ‘wasn’t being treated with respect’
Speaking about making the switch to GB News, Eamonn said: “I made the jump to GB News because options dried up. The ‘wrong age’, at the ‘wrong stage’. At some point, it becomes very hard to get work.”
Eamonn continued his criticism of ITV’s This Morning in his interview with The Guardian. “It was obvious that I didn’t tick the boxes for ITV anymore. And I wasn’t being treated with respect there,” he said. He then went on to say that leaving ITV was a “self-esteem thing”.
ED! has contacted ITV and representatives for Eamonn and Ruth for comment.
Read more: Eamonn Holmes still ‘loathes’ Phillip Schofield and has ‘no regrets’
So what do you think of this story? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.