Eamonn Holmes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eamonn Holmes OBE
Holmes in 2013
Born	(1959-12-03) 3 December 1959 (age 65) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Occupation	Broadcaster journalist
Years active	1979–present
Employer	ITV (former) Channel 5 (former) GB News ( former)
Spouse(s)	Gabrielle Holmes ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 2005)​ Ruth Langsford ​ ​ (m. 2010; separated 2024)​
Children	4

Eamonn Holmes OBE (born 3 December 1959) is a famous Northern Irish TV presenter and journalist. He has hosted many popular TV shows. These include GMTV (1993–2005) and This Morning (2006–2021) on ITV. He also presented Sunrise (2005–2016) for Sky News.

In 2022, Eamonn joined GB News to host their breakfast show. He has also presented shows like How the Other Half Lives for Channel 5. Eamonn was given an award called the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2018 for his work in broadcasting. He also supports many charities, such as Dogs Trust.

Early Life and School

Eamonn Holmes grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He went to Holy Family Primary School. Later, he studied at St Malachy's College in Belfast.

Eamonn's TV Career

Starting Out in Broadcasting

Before becoming a TV star, Eamonn worked for a business magazine in Dublin. In 1979, he began his TV career at Ulster Television (UTV). This was a TV channel in Northern Ireland. He started as a host and reporter for a farming show.

Later, he helped cover sports events for UTV. In 1982, Eamonn moved into news reporting. He became the main presenter for UTV's news show, Good Evening Ulster. He also hosted other UTV shows, like the Miss Northern Ireland specials. In 1986, he left UTV to join the BBC. There, he worked on the national daytime show Open Air.

Becoming a TV Presenter

Holmes in 2009

Eamonn has presented many different types of TV shows. He has covered sports like snooker, horse racing, darts, and tennis.

In 1993, Eamonn started hosting GMTV, a popular breakfast show on ITV. He hosted the very first episode. He left GMTV in 2005. He said the show had become too focused on celebrities.

From 2001 to 2007, Eamonn presented the BBC game show Jet Set. After leaving GMTV, he joined Sky News in 2005. He became the main presenter for their breakfast show, Sunrise. He hosted this show for eleven years, leaving in 2016.

In 2006, Eamonn began presenting This Morning on ITV. He hosted the Friday shows and holiday specials with his then-wife, Ruth Langsford. They stopped presenting the show together in 2021.

Eamonn has also hosted other shows. These include SUDO-Q on the BBC and The Rich List in the US. He also presented Songs of Praise and was a guest presenter on Have I Got News for You.

In 2015, Eamonn and Ruth Langsford presented Eamonn & Ruth: How the Other Half Lives on Channel 5. This show explored how wealthy people live. He also hosted the panel show It's Not Me, It's You in 2016.

In December 2021, Eamonn announced he was joining GB News. He started presenting their new breakfast show with Isabel Webster in January 2022.

Other TV Appearances

Eamonn has appeared on many other TV shows. In 2013, he was a judge on Blue Peter – You Decide. This show looked for a new presenter for the CBBC show Blue Peter.

He has been on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? four times. He also appeared on celebrity versions of game shows like Fifteen to One, All Star Mr & Mrs, and The Chase. Since 2017, he has been the voiceover for Biggleton on CBeebies.

Radio Work

Eamonn also has a history in radio. In the late 1980s, he worked at Downtown Radio in Northern Ireland. From 2003 to 2009, he presented The Eamonn Holmes Show on Radio 5 Live.

In 2016, Eamonn started his own show on talkRADIO called Let's Talk With Eamonn Holmes. From 2018 to 2020, he hosted the weekday drivetime show on talkRADIO.

Writing and Books

Eamonn writes a column for The People newspaper. He also wrote his own book, called This is MY Life, which came out in 2006. The book shares some stories from behind the scenes of his time at GMTV.

Eamonn's Personal Life

In 1985, Eamonn married Gabrielle Holmes. They had three children: Declan, Rebecca, and Niall. They separated in 1994.

On 26 June 2010, Eamonn married fellow TV presenter Ruth Langsford. They have one son named Jack. In May 2024, Eamonn and Ruth announced they were separating after 14 years of marriage.

Eamonn has received honorary degrees from Queen's University Belfast and the University of Staffordshire. He is a big fan of Manchester United football club.

Eamonn and Ruth Langsford are supporters of Dogs Trust, a charity for dogs. They adopted their dog, Maggie, from the charity in 2011. They also support the Dementia Friends campaign and the Northern Ireland Kidney Patients' Association.

In October 2022, Eamonn had a fall at home and broke a bone in his shoulder. He took some time off from his TV work to recover. He has also shared that he has had back pain and needed a wheelchair at times.

Filmography

Television

Film

Radio

Awards and Special Honours

Eamonn Holmes was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2018. This was for his great work in broadcasting. He received the award from Queen Elizabeth II herself.