Eamonn Holmes has announced he’s landed a new role on GB News.
Last month, The Mirror reported that the daytime star would be stepping down as a presenter on This Morning after 15 years, having signed a new deal to host his own show on the controversial news broadcaster from next year onwards.
After remaining tight-lipped about the speculation, Eamonn has now confirmed this to be the case, saying in a statement: “I’ve spent my career on broadcasting firsts and start-ups, and GB News is one of the most exciting yet. It’s just the kind of shake-up the industry needs.
“I’ve admired GB News from the beginning for its clever mix of punchy debate but delivered with warmth and even some fun.
“To me the greatest honour in journalism is to give a voice and respect to the unheard, and that’s exactly what GB News is all about.”
Eamonn began presenting This Morning in 2006, alongside his wife Ruth Langsford, who had already been part of the ITV show’s on-air team since 1999.
The couple originally presented the show every Friday, as well as during school holidays.
However, last year it was announced that Eamonn and Ruth’s regular Friday slot was being given to the new duo of Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, a move which is not thought to have gone down well with the long-serving pair.
ITV said in a statement: “We would like to wish Eamonn all of the very best in his new role. As a duo, Eamonn and Ruth have been part of the This Morning presenting team for the last 15 years and we thank Eamonn for all of his hard work and contribution to the show.
“Ruth remains an important part of ITV Daytime both as a continuing member of the This Morning family and as an anchor presenter on Loose Women.”
In recent times, Eamonn has come under fire on several occasions due to remarks he’s made during This Morning’s live broadcasts.
This included when he repeatedly interrupted Femi Oluwole during a debate about the use of the word “slaves” in the song Rule Britannia and when he compared Dr Zoe Williams’ hair to an alpaca, for which he later apologised.
Prior to this, he was criticised for branding the Duchess of Sussex “uppity” on This Morning, and while a spokesperson for the show said this had been a “point of learning” for the presenter, Eamonn later insisted that he “hadn’t learnt anything” from the incident.
Early in the pandemic, Eamonn also sparked a response from Ofcom when his comments about a debunked 5G conspiracy theory incited hundreds of complaints to the TV watchdog.
GB News launched in June 2021, and immediately got off to a shaky start with a launch week that included technical mishaps, Ofcom complaints and presenters being pranked live on air numerous times.
Following this, it was reported that several GB News shows had recorded zero views, with speculation of behind-the-scenes drama at the broadcaster also written about in the press.
Chairman and presenter Andrew Neil announced he’d be taking a break from the ill-fated station after less than two weeks on air, and has since quit GB News completely.
Former presenter Guto Harri also stepped down from the station just weeks after its launch when he was publicly rebuked by GB News when he took the knee live on air, in solidarity with the England footballers who had been subjected to racist abuse since the Euro 2020 final.
