How Ruth Langsford is having the last laugh after her messy split from Eamonn Holmes
WHEN you see your ex-husband going on vacation with his new, younger lover, most women get desperate.
But that’s not the case for TV presenter Ruth Langsford, 64. Her ex-husband, Eamonn Holmes, also 64, was recently photographed touching down in Barcelona with his glamorous new girlfriend, 43-year-old Katie Alexander.
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Ruth refuses to accept their recent split, which came after 14 years of marriage and 28 together. She has found her ‘spark’ and has thrown herself into presenting Loose Women, where she showcases her own fashion collection and, according to those close to her, is enjoying some well-earned ‘me-time’.
“What started out as a tough few months has turned into a time of fun and opportunity,” a source tells Fabulous.
“Ruth has her enthusiasm back and she is eager to start a new chapter.
”People expect her to be shocked when she sees Katie and Eamonn together, and although it was a shock at first, she doesn’t dwell on it.”
Following their split in May, sources said Ruth felt “more like his carer than his wife”, while Eamonn became “increasingly grumpy” due to chronic pain caused by a fall at his home a year ago which left him with a dislocated pelvis and three hernias.
While Eamonn’s new girlfriend Katie was spotted wearing a diamond ring, sparking unfounded engagement rumours, Ruth was still wearing her wedding ring this week.
Eamonn and Katie are also said to be looking for a house as they plan to move in together.
It’s undoubtedly a lot to process for Ruth, who has a son, Jack, 22, with her former This Morning co-presenter, but sources close to her insist Ruth is moving on and is “determined to be as positive and proactive as possible in the next phase of her life.”
And it certainly looks like Ruth is living the best life of her life.
From TV appearances to dating and luxury beauty treatments, we reveal what life looks like for this newly single woman after Eamonn.
THE NEXT NATIONAL TREASURE
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Ruth is up against TV bosses who want to capitalise on her popularity and her new single status, says brand and culture expert Nick Ede.
Earlier this week, she hinted at some interesting possibilities for her 1.1 million Instagram followers when she gave a sneak peek [on Wednesday] that she took part in “a very exciting photo shoot.”
“Ruth is achieving national treasure status, and nothing affirms that more than someone who has overcome adversity,” Nick explains.
“She’ll be fine without Eamonn by her side.
“She’s a journalist, a presenter and a designer who has always held her own. It won’t be long before the TV bosses come knocking.”
Nick shares how Ruth could follow in the footsteps of recently single presenter Vanessa Feltz by taking part in celebrity dating shows.
“I could imagine Ruth going on The First Dates Hotel and trusting Fred to find her a match, or she could go on Celebs Go Dating like Vanessa,” he says.
“Ruth is very popular and has a lot of famous friends, I can imagine her even hosting her own dating show, like Davina and Rylan.
“I’m sure I’m A Celeb wants her and I think she could be the next Loose Woman to enter the Big Brother house next year.”
CELEBIS GIRLS GET HAIR ‘BACK’
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Earlier this week, Ruth announced the day’s Loose Women panel on Instagram, tellingly using Meghan Trainor’s feminist anthem Badass Woman as the soundtrack to her story.
The song’s lyrics include the words “I’m a tough woman, what’s wrong with that? Can’t hold me down.”
And our source says the girls on the show, including Coleen Nolan and Janet Street-Porter, have been a lifeline for Ruth: “All the ladies are incredibly close and they’re supportive of Ruth.
Ruth is not going to play games and will not respond to criticism from social media users.
Nick Ede
“There have been lots of messages of support over the phone and at lunches and they are also planning some extravagant nights out with the girls.
“Women like Brenda Edwards, who is happily single, give Ruth advice and a listening ear.”
Earlier this month, Brenda gave an interview in which she praised her fellow cast members: “They’re like a little family, they’re a phenomenal group of women.”
And our source agrees.
“Ruth found their support invaluable.
“She has a lot of strong women around her and that is a huge support for her.”
And it’s not just her Loose Women pals she’s leaning on. Last week, Ruth joined Rylan Clark, Lizzie Cundy and their friend Kimberley Morgan for a fancy night on the town, where they downed cocktails and prosecco before heading back to Rylan’s for a nightcap, giving Ruth the chance to let her hair down.
A FASHION ICON… AND SHE KNOWS IT
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As pictures of Katie pushing Eamonn in a wheelchair through Barcelona airport made headlines, Ruth decided to launch her QVC clothing line on social media.
She shared photos of herself in a selection of chic items.
Ruth knows that iconic social media accounts like Hunsnet love her fashion posts, so she wants to give the people what they want and make sure all eyes are on her and her collection.
Dressed stylishly in cargo pants and a striped T-shirt, combined with dark shades, Ruth proudly captioned the story: “All my own work. All from my QVC range.”
Earlier she showed off a chunky sweater, captioning it: “It’s a day for a nice warm sweatshirt.”
Responding to suggestions that Ruth may have posted this message to mark Eamonn’s trip, Nick said: “Ruth isn’t going to play games and won’t respond to criticism from social media users.
“She’s going to show up and show herself. She did that recently when Eamonn was on a cruise. She showed off her new fashion collection and made record sales.
“I don’t think she’ll play a PR game, I think she’ll be authentic and honest and that’s why we love her even more.”
COMFORT FOOD IS HER TONIC
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Ruth is an enthusiastic chef and often shares spontaneous videos and photos of her cooking skills on her Instagram.
If fans were worried that she’d lost her appetite since the split, they needn’t have been – our source insists she’s been “spending a lot of time in the kitchen and hopes to throw elaborate dinner parties to show off her new recipes.”
And Nick thinks viewers will be salivating at the chance to see Ruth show off her cooking skills on TV.
“ITV has a fantastic show called Cooking With The Stars which Ruth would be perfect for,” he explains.
“Either that, or I can see her getting a role on Celebrity Masterchef.”
Earlier this week, Ruth showed her sense of humor by sharing a photo of a fancy hot chocolate, complete with a red ‘danger’ sticker. She captioned the post ‘Uh Oh’.
But it is well documented that the presenter is an advocate of healthy eating.
In a 2021 interview, she even complained that she needed a bigger fridge to store all of Eamonn’s sweets. Now she doesn’t have to worry about that anymore.
She said: “In our house there’s Eamonn’s food and Ruth’s food. Ruth’s staples include skimmed milk, tea bags, eggs, smoked salmon and the occasional bottle of white wine.
”As far as my husband is concerned, there is hardly any space left on the shelves once he has stocked up on his basics. These consist roughly of Angel Delight with strawberries, Quavers, Wotsits, Bounty bars, Crunchies, Fruit Pastilles and Turkish Delight.”
POSH TREATMENTS AND ‘ME TIME’
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Ruth caused some controversy this week when she spoke out about getting older, shortly after Eamonn and Katie, who is over 20 years her junior, set off on their luxury cruise.
“When I turned 60, it seemed to go by really fast,” she said.
“I feel like everything has sunk and sagged and I have a weird feeling in my neck.
”If you’re taking a selfie or something, I didn’t really notice it at first, but now I do and I’m like, “Ugh, look at that.”
Fans were quick to come to her defense, saying: “You look beautiful, Ruth,” but our source says she may consider some professional beauty treatments if it means she feels better about herself.
Last week she posted a photo of her getting highlights done at a posh London salon. She has posted about her love of hair extensions before.
“Ruth isn’t vain at all, but she likes to look her best just like everyone else,” our source explains.
“Whether it’s her eyebrows, her hair or her skin, she loves to look well-groomed and she will never stop undergoing beauty treatments.
“She feels great and looks great too.”
