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
Spouse(s)	Gabrielle Holmes ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 2005)​ Ruth Langsford ​ ​ (m. 2010; separated 2024)​
Children	4

Eamonn Holmes is a famous Northern Irish broadcaster and journalist. He was born on 3 December 1959. He is well-known for hosting many popular TV shows.

Eamonn co-hosted the breakfast show GMTV on ITV from 1993 to 2005. After that, he presented Sunrise for Sky News until 2016. He also co-hosted This Morning on ITV with his then-wife Ruth Langsford for many years. In January 2022, he joined GB News to present their breakfast programme.

Eamonn Holmes was given an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award in 2018. This was for his great work in broadcasting. He also supports many charities, like Dogs Trust.

Early Life and School

Eamonn Holmes grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He went to Holy Family Primary School. Later, he attended St Malachy's College in Belfast. He also studied at the Dublin College of Business Studies.

Eamonn's Career in TV

Starting Out in Broadcasting

Eamonn Holmes began his career in 1979. His first job was at Ulster Television (UTV). He worked as a host and reporter for a farming show. He also helped cover sports events.

In 1982, Eamonn started reporting on news and current events. He became the main anchor for UTV's Good Evening Ulster show. He also hosted other UTV shows, like the Miss Northern Ireland specials. He left UTV in 1986 to join the BBC. There, he worked on the national daytime show Open Air.

Hosting Popular TV Shows

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. He was one of the first presenters on the show. He left GMTV in 2005. He said the show had become too focused on celebrities.

After leaving GMTV, Eamonn joined Sky News. He presented their Sunrise programme from 2005 to 2016. He worked with different co-hosts during this time.

In 2006, Eamonn began presenting This Morning on ITV. He hosted the Friday shows and holiday specials with Ruth Langsford. They continued to host together until 2021.

Eamonn and Ruth also presented a show called How the Other Half Lives. This show was on Channel 5 from 2015 to 2019. In 2016, Eamonn hosted the panel show It's Not Me, It's You.

In December 2021, it was announced that Eamonn would join GB News. He started presenting their new breakfast show in January 2022. He hosts it with Isabel Webster.

Other TV Appearances

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

He has also been on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? several times. He played with famous people like Alex Ferguson and Kay Burley. Eamonn has also appeared on other game shows. These include Fifteen to One and The Chase.

Since 2017, Eamonn has been the voiceover for Biggleton on CBeebies.

Radio Work

Eamonn Holmes also has a history in radio. In the late 1980s, he worked at Downtown Radio. This was Northern Ireland's first independent radio station.

From 2003 to 2009, he presented The Eamonn Holmes Show on Radio 5 Live. He also hosted his own show on London's Magic 105.4 radio station in 2005.

In 2016, Eamonn started his own radio show on Talkradio. It was called Let's Talk With Eamonn Holmes. From 2018 to 2020, he presented the weekday drivetime show on Talkradio.

Writing and Books

Eamonn writes a column for The People newspaper. He also released his autobiography in May 2006. The book is called This is MY Life. It shares stories from his time working on GMTV.

Eamonn's Personal Life

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

On 26 June 2010, Eamonn married 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 for his work. One was from Queen's University Belfast in 2006. Another was from the University of Staffordshire.

He is a big fan of Manchester United football club. Eamonn and Ruth are also supporters of Dogs Trust. They adopted their dog, Maggie, from the charity in 2011. They also supported the Dementia Friends campaign in 2014. This campaign helps people understand Alzheimer's Society initiatives.

In April 2015, Eamonn became an ambassador for Variety GB. This is a children's charity. In January 2016, he became a patron of the Northern Ireland Kidney Patients' Association.

In October 2022, Eamonn had a fall at home. He broke a bone in his shoulder. This meant he had to take time off from his breakfast show on GB News. He has also shared about other health issues. These include spinal surgery and a double hip replacement. He has also had severe back pain.

Filmography

Television

Film

Radio

Awards and Special Honours

Eamonn Holmes was given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award. This was for his important work in broadcasting. He received it from Queen Elizabeth II on 1 June 2018.