Eamonn Holmes made a surprising admission about his first marriage proposal while discussing Valentine’s Day on GB News Breakfast.
The 64-year-old presenter, who split from Ruth Langsford last year, shared a personal story when co-host Ellie Costello asked him about his first-ever Valentine’s card.
Eamonn’s surprising Valentine’s Day confession
© GB NewsDuring the live discussion, Ellie asked: “Do you remember your first-ever Valentine?”
Without hesitation, Eamonn responded: “I married her.”
His comment took Ellie by surprise as she gasped and replied: “Aww, that’s so nice.”
Eamonn was referring to his first wife, Gabrielle, whom he married in 1985. The couple welcomed three children – Declan, Rebecca, and Niall – before separating in 1995.
Why Eamonn’s first marriage ended
© ShutterstockEamonn has previously spoken about the challenges that led to his split from Gabrielle. His demanding career in television meant long periods away from home, which put strain on their relationship.
In his 2008 memoir, This Is My Life: The Autobiography, he reflected on how his time working on GMTV in London, while Gabrielle remained in Belfast, created a growing distance between them.
“I always believed absence would make the heart grow fonder and, in fact, the commuting heightened my desperation for her,” he wrote.
However, he admitted that his frequent absences had the opposite effect on Gabrielle: “It gave my wife a life of her own, with her children, and come weekends I was intruding on it.”
The turning point came in 1991, when Eamonn lost his father. He recalled feeling alone in his grief, writing: “I needed her close, I needed her to reach me and ease my pain, but she had concerns of her own.”
His romance with Ruth Langsford
© GettyAfter his divorce, Eamonn met Ruth through a mutual friend at GMTV. The pair quickly hit it off and dated for 14 years before tying the knot in 2010 in a glamorous ceremony at Elvetham Hall, Hampshire.
The wedding was a major showbiz event and featured in HELLO! Magazine across two special issues.
Eamonn and Ruth, both well-known faces on This Morning, were one of ITV’s most popular presenting duos. However, cracks in their marriage reportedly began to show after Eamonn left the show in 2021.
What led to Eamonn and Ruth’s split?
© ShutterstockSpeaking in a 2021 interview with TalkTV, Eamonn gave insight into their relationship dynamic: “Although we live together, we’re not really together… Ruth likes her own space.”
Their split in 2023 after 28 years together shocked fans. In a joint statement, the pair confirmed they were separating, with sources suggesting they had grown apart over time.
Since their separation, Eamonn has continued to work on GB News, while Ruth remains a key presenter on Loose Women.
Despite their breakup, both have remained professional and have not spoken negatively about each other in public.
GB News Breakfast airs weekdays from 6am.
