Eamonn Holmes has revealed he once angrily confronted Anne Robinson after she commented on his parenting, telling her he would “knock her fucking head off” if she were a man.
The This Morning presenter was left furious after Anne claimed he had “sacrificed fatherhood for fame” as he juggled his TV career in London with his family in Belfast.
Eamonn recalled the incident during an interview with RTÉ One’s The Meaning Of Life, saying: “This is coming from a man who would fly back from London for his kids’ school sports days, who would take the last flight out of Belfast at 10 o’clock at night when he’d tucked them up in bed at 8pm, you know, who just was there for them all the time at every need for them.
“And this is the man who went into an airport lounge one Sunday morning, very, very early in Belfast, and there was one other person in that lounge and it was Anne Robinson.
“I walked over to her and I simply said, very coldly and heartfelt meant, ‘if you were a bloke, I would knock your fucking head off. I just want you to know that.’”
Eamonn revealed that Anne subsequently tried to make amends, inviting her to sit beside her during the flight.
“I thought twice about it and I sat down beside her, and we had a very enlightening conversation, a very sensible conversation, and she apologised,” he said.
“What can you do when someone apologises? You are left with a choice whether you forgive or don’t forgive, and I decided to forgive her.”
Eamonn is father to Declan, Rebecca and Niall from his marriage to first wife Gabrielle, while he also has a son, Jack, with his second wife and This Morning co-presenter Ruth Langsford.
He and Ruth recently returned to the ITV daytime show to host over the summer holidays, after their regular Friday slot earlier this was given to Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary when they joined the presenting team.
The This Morning presenter was left furious after Anne claimed he had “sacrificed fatherhood for fame” as he juggled his TV career in London with his family in Belfast.
Eamonn recalled the incident during an interview with RTÉ One’s The Meaning Of Life, saying: “This is coming from a man who would fly back from London for his kids’ school sports days, who would take the last flight out of Belfast at 10 o’clock at night when he’d tucked them up in bed at 8pm, you know, who just was there for them all the time at every need for them.
“And this is the man who went into an airport lounge one Sunday morning, very, very early in Belfast, and there was one other person in that lounge and it was Anne Robinson.
“I walked over to her and I simply said, very coldly and heartfelt meant, ‘if you were a bloke, I would knock your fucking head off. I just want you to know that.’”
Eamonn revealed that Anne subsequently tried to make amends, inviting her to sit beside her during the flight.
“I thought twice about it and I sat down beside her, and we had a very enlightening conversation, a very sensible conversation, and she apologised,” he said.
“What can you do when someone apologises? You are left with a choice whether you forgive or don’t forgive, and I decided to forgive her.”
Eamonn is father to Declan, Rebecca and Niall from his marriage to first wife Gabrielle, while he also has a son, Jack, with his second wife and This Morning co-presenter Ruth Langsford.
He and Ruth recently returned to the ITV daytime show to host over the summer holidays, after their regular Friday slot earlier this was given to Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary when they joined the presenting team.
