Eamonn Holmes' health woes as he concerns fans by falling off chair live on air
Eamonn Holmes worried fans last week when he fell off his chair live on GB News after battling a number of serious health issues and chronic pain for years
Eamonn Holmes has sadly been battling ill health for a number of years and concerned fans last week when he fell off his chair live on TV - despite insisting he was "fine". The popular presenter, 65, was in the middle of hosting GB News' breakfast show when he crashed to the ground as the programme quickly cut to a commercial break.
Eamonn, who has had two hip replacements and is plagued with chronic back pain, could be heard saying: "I'm fine, fine fine, carry on, carry on" before quipping: "I'm alive.. They're very wonky wheels on chairs we've got here, as a matter of fact we don't really like the chairs here."
However, he then admitted he was in "shock" as he shared that he'd recently fallen over in his bathroom, explaining: "I'd had a fall two weeks ago in his bathroom that hospitalised me and that hit me right in the back."
Just two weeks ago, Eamonn revealed he had been rushed to hospital after experiencing a fall. In the caption, the star shared: "An unexpected journey this morning ….. bit of a fall on the bathroom floor. Gosh it hurts. Not how I wanted to be spending The Holiday weekend ..... but life's not easy these days."
The veteran broadcaster has had a lengthy battle with illness and operations and is now forced to use an electric wheelchair. Here's a look at what he's sadly been dealing with...
Double hip replacement
Eamonn opened up about his "life-changing" hip replacement, which he had in 2016, after revealing he refused the surgery for three decades. Writing for The Telegraph, he said: "Waiting was the worst decision I ever made. After having both of mine replaced seven years ago, aged 55, I haven't had a single regret: in fact, it's been life-changing."
The major surgery was carried out in a bid to tackle the Northern Irishman's excruciating hip, leg and back pain he had secretly suffered for more than 20 years. Eamonn was speaking about the surgery after Oasis frontman, Liam Gallagher, said he didn't want to have the operation himself because he was concerned about the 'stigma'.
However, rather than judging the Beady Eye star, the presenter sympathised with Liam, saying: "In the newsroom, when we heard that he needed the operation due to arthritis, most of my colleagues laughed. They were all tickled by the idea of a rocker like him being confronted with being 'over the hill'– but I saw nothing remotely funny about it."
Eamonn went on to reveal how he'd suffered pre-surgery, saying people who don't experience severe hip, leg or back pain aren't aware of how chronic it is, or "the sleepless nights or not being able to drive, let alone do anything more physically active."
Shingles
Eamonn was struck down with the viral infection that causes a painful rash in 2018, saying he looked "as if someone had taken a baseball bat to my face". The star believed his severe Shingles had been brought on by a "stressful tax row", which saw him battle with HMRC over whether he was classed as staff or a freelancer as a presenter at This Morning.
"It was bloody scary to see it," he told The Sun. "It looked as if someone had taken a baseball bat to my face and smashed me about a bit." More terrifyingly, Eamonn said the infection could have caused him to go blind.
"Blindness could have been a complication in my case," he said. "The doctor said it's really bad for you because it's around your eyes, and could be bad for your ophthalmic nerves. Medically, it was pretty serious."
Spinal surgery
In 2021, Eamonn told his followers: "Those of you who follow me on social media will know [that] about a month ago I did something to my back. I don't know how I did it – getting into the car, getting out of a car, getting out of bed, whatever. I've got an MRI scan, but the trouble is, everything closes for Easter, I haven't got it analysed yet, but what I do know is, I can't sleep at night."
Eamonn revealed the pain in his back intensified during the night, and urged sufferers of chronic pain to talk to each other and consult medical experts.
Eventually, the star discovered the cause of his pain was due to three slipped discs, which resulted in him needed spinal surgery in September 2022. However, after the operation, there was sadly more woe to come for Eamonn...
Broken shoulder
The veteran presenter admitted the spinal surgery he had in 2022 has set him back rather than improved his health as he returned to air on GB News show, Breakfast with Eamonn and Isabel, after taking several months off.
Looking thoroughly fed up, he told viewers: "Basically, I can't walk. I can do everything... everything above here [gesturing to his waist] works, but it's the legs." Eamonn's co-host Isabel Webster said: "The op that you had has set you back, at the moment." Eamonn replied: "Yes, it's set me back and it made me fall down stairs. My leg gave way and I fell down 18 stairs. So I fell down the spiral staircase, smashed my right shoulder."
The father-of-four added: "The first thing you did was lean on my shoulder" to which Isabel laughed: "I won't be doing that again or you'll be off for another four months."
Needing a wheelchair
Eamonn used to rely on a mobility scooter and shared a snap of himself sitting on the vehicle, eating an ice cream while on holiday in the US in 2023. Posting the photo, Eamonn wrote: "That was me on holiday last month in USA, getting around using my mobility scooter. 13 years since my spinal fusion."
Speaking to Best magazine about the backlash his post caused, he said: "Some people were mocking me on social media... 'Oh, look at Eamonn, he's in a mobility scooter!' I replied, saying, 'I would prefer if I wasn't in it but how else would I have got around?' The alternative is I don't go anywhere, and I sit in my armchair, work in the office. So, I go out... It's mentally uplifting to get out."
However, he is now using an electric wheelchair, which he was seen using at Heathrow Airport last year after returning from holiday with girlfriend, Katie Alexander.
Despite some cruel comments about his new mode of transport, the majority of Eamonn's followers wished him well as one said: "Hope you are keeping well Eamonn. Wishing you all the love." While another: "Hope that you can manage your pain soon".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
GB News launches probe after Eamonn Holmes' wheelchair 'hits female producer as he was returning to set'
GB News bosses have launched an investigation after a young female producer was left bruised when she was hit by Eamonn Holmes 's wheelchair. The Mail on Sunday can reveal the woman has made a complaint following the alleged incident ten days ago. It happened as she attempted to explain to the employee pushing Mr Holmes, 65, that the star could not return to the set to continue hosting his breakfast show following a toilet break, because the cameras were rolling. Sources at GB News have told this newspaper that tensions ran high as the woman said it wasn't the best time for Mr Holmes to return to his seat, although there is no suggestion that he did anything wrong. One said: 'Eamonn gets wheeled on and off the set because his mobility is so bad. He is really struggling to move around these days so, as part of the care that GB News are giving him, he will be wheeled to the loo if he needs to go during the programme. 'Only this time there was some confusion over whether or not he could go back to his seat as the cameras were going and the show was being aired live. The poor young woman was doing her job and saying that it wasn't possible for him to go back on. 'There were frustrations over it from some involved and the next thing the woman gets hit and she got a bruise on her leg. It has been the talk of the studio ever since.' GB News's HR department is now said to be looking into the incident. It isn't the first time there has been drama surrounding Mr Holmes's breakfast show. Last month he fell off his chair while interviewing commentator Charlie Rowley live on air at 6.15am. While viewers couldn't see him fall, a crash could be heard off-screen and co-host Ellie Costello said: 'Oh my gosh'. It came after he was taken to hospital in April following a fall at home. Bosses at the channel are becoming increasingly worried about Mr Holmes's health and about how long he is going to be able to host his breakfast show, which runs from 6am to 9.30am three days a week. He is currently chauffeured from his Surrey home to the west London set and back again. He struggles so much with his mobility – which has deteriorated following a double hip replacement and spinal surgery on three slipped discs in 2016 and 2022 respectively – that he is wheeled on and off the set. Mr Holmes has been battling health issues since surgery in 2022, and it is said that he now has very little feeling in his lower back. In 2023, he said that he 'could no longer walk or look after himself'. He is being supported by his new girlfriend Katie Alexander, 43, following his split from wife Ruth Langsford, 65, last year.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Eamonn Holmes' ‘wheelchair hits female producer' as GB News bosses launch investigation after set incident
GB News has launched an investigation after Eamonn Holmes' wheelchair 'knocked into a young female producer', according to reports. The television news channel is said to have received a complaint from his colleague after she was 'bruised' in the alleged incident. 5 5 The Mail On Sunday claims Eamonn's chair knocked into the producer after she told the employee pushing him that he could not return to the set. Eamonn, 65, is said to have taken a toilet break but that the cameras for his breakfast show were rolling when he came back. A source told the publication there were "frustrations" during the conversation between the producer and the person pushing Eamonn, but that Eamonn did not do anything wrong. "[Eamonn] is really struggling to move around these days so, as part of the care that GB News are giving him, he will need to be wheeled to the loo if he needs to go during the programme," the source said. "Only this time there was some confusion over whether or not he could go back to his seat as the cameras were going and the show was being aired live." The source added: "There were frustrations over it from some involved and the next thing the woman gets hit and she got a bruise on her leg." The Mail On Sunday reports that GB News' HR department is "looking into the incident". The Sun has contacted Eamonn's rep and GB News for comment. Eamonn, who announced his split with his telly star wife Ruth Langsford in 2024, has been battling a chronic health condition for four years. The former This Morning presenter is now confined to a wheelchair due to intense back pain. Eamonn Holmes reveals injured area after shock fall live on TV His chronic condition began unexpectedly in 2021 and he was rushed to hospital after suffering from "pain he's never felt in his life". Soon, Eamonn was unable to walk without a stick to help him and a spinal operation in 2022 provided little relief. The pain was caused by a dislocated pelvis, which later resulted in Eamonn sustaining three slipped disks. While recovering from surgery, he fell down the stairs at his home in Weybridge, Surrey, and broke his shoulder. A further spine and neck procedure in 2023 also did little to alleviate Eamonn's pain. Last month, Eamonn suffered another nasty injury when he fell off his chair live on his GB News breakfast show. Ruth and Eamonn's relationship timeline Before the shock split announcement, Ruth and Eamonn seemed like one of the strongest couples on UK TV – even with their signature bickering style. Here's how their romance played out... 1997 - The couple first meet after being introduced by mutual friends, two years after Eamonn splits from his first wife, Gabrielle, with whom he has three children. 1997-2002 - To be respectful to Gabrielle, the couple kept their relationship out of the limelight. Ruth told Daily Mail: "I thought it spoke volumes about the sort of man he was, the sort of father he was and the integrity he had. It made me love him more, not less." 2002 - Ruth and Eamonn welcome their son, Jack, to the family. 2005 - Eamonn finalises his divorce with Gabrielle. 2006 - The pair begin to host Friday episodes of This Morning together. 2010 - Eamonn proposes to Ruth while at the Cheltenham Races, after asking Ruth's mother for her hand. June 2010 - Eamonn and Ruth marry at Elvetham Hall, Hampshire. 2016 - Eamonn undergoes a double hip replacement in the first of many health battles. June 2019 - On This Morning, Ruth and Eamonn say the secret to their happy marriage. Eamonn credits "compromise, consideration and lots of conjugal," while Ruth said it was "laughter and an equal marriage". November 2020 - Ruth and Eamonn are replaced on their regular Friday slot by Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary in a 'show shake-up'. December 202 1 - After a year of being moved to the bank holiday presenting slot, both Eamonn and Ruth left This Morning. January 2022 - Eamonn debuted on GB News, while Ruth stayed with ITV in her long-standing role on Loose Women. September 2022 - Eamonn undergoes spinal surgery after years of back issues including a trapped sciatic nerve. November 2022 - Eamonn falls down the stairs of his Surrey home with Ruth and breaks his shoulder, requiring a new operation. September 2023 - Eamonn has a spine and neck stretching procedure as part of his year-long recovery. May 2024 - Ruth and Eamonn announce they have split after 14 years of marriage and a 27-year relationship. September 2024 - Eamonn was spotted on a luxury holiday in Barcelona with his new girlfriend Katie Alexander. Ruth calls in a 'fierce' divorce lawyer. The presenter ended up on his back on set and it came just two weeks after he was rushed to hospital in another fall. Incredibly, Eamonn - who is now in a relationship with marriage counsellor Katie Alexander - managed to carry on with the rest of the programme and was described as a "trooper" by his concerned colleagues. At the end of the show, he told viewers: "The chair gave way and I was lying flat on my back with my head hanging off the set. "The first hour or so I was OK because the adrenaline kicked in, but then as the morning went on I felt the aches and pains. "The worst thing is that two weeks ago I was hospitalised for a similar fall in the same area, back of my neck, head and shoulders and that's all come back." He added: "We're going to have to replace the chairs because I'm not the only one to have fallen." Eamonn has since vowed to "redouble his efforts" to walk again in a heartbreaking social media post. 5 5
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Rachel Zegler's Evita faces backlash over trigger warnings – But critics miss the point
Rachel Zegler's West End revival of Evita has drawn criticism for including a trigger warning about 'loud music and sudden noises' — but much of the backlash reflects a misunderstanding of what trigger warnings are actually for. The production at the London Palladium, which stars Zegler, 24, in her UK stage debut, has already faced criticism for the decision to have Zegler perform a key number on a balcony while the audience watches a live feed video. Now, it's facing even more backlash for warning audiences about the use of loud music, sudden noises, strobe lighting, flashing lights, and haze in the production. Zegler plays the titular role of Eva Perón in Sir Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd-Webber's beloved musical, which follows the story of Perón as she rises to political power in Latin America. Toby Young, director of the Free Speech Union, said: 'Warning fans of musical theatre that they may hear loud music and sudden noises is beyond parody. Just how stupid do theatre owners think their customers are?' He continued to The Telegraph: 'I cannot imagine someone who's paid £350 for a pair of tickets to Evita complaining that it contains loud music. They'd be more likely to complain if it didn't.' Trigger warnings, which have become increasingly prevalent in recent years, aim to alert audiences to potentially upsetting or harmful material they may wish to avoid or prepare themselves to engage with. Young is not the only one to have spoken out against trigger warnings. Actor Ralph Fiennes told BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: 'I think we didn't use to have trigger warnings. I mean, there are very disturbing scenes in Macbeth, terrible murders and things. 'But I think the impact of theater should be that you're shocked and you should be disturbed. I don't think you should be prepared for these things and when I was young, never had trigger warnings for shows.' Sir Ian McKellan agrees with Fiennes' perspective, telling Sky News when he was in Frank and Percy on the West end: 'Outside theaters and in the lobbies, including this one, the audience is warned 'there is a loud noise and at one point, there are flashing lights,' 'there is reference to smoking,' 'there is reference to bereavement.' I think it's ludicrous. I quite like to be surprised by loud noises and outrageous behavior on stage.' But these perspectives reflect a common misconception about trigger warnings: They are not about coddling audiences or spoiling artistic intent – they are about providing individuals, especially those with past trauma, the informed choice to engage with difficult content on their own terms. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video As Reddit user LadyDisdain555 writes in a thread about the issue: 'Trigger warnings aren't to prevent offence. They're safety precautions in case someone's trauma responses are activated by the content. They're literally there to allow people to protect themselves, while also trying to keep free expression alive.' Many don't understand that trigger warnings are not just about mental health. If, for example, you suffer from epilepsy and flashing lights can bring on your seizures, the use of trigger warnings in stage productions allows you to check beforehand if you might be at risk. Additionally, to equate emotional surprise with artistic value assumes a universal audience experience, ignoring the fact that for some, unanticipated depictions of violence, bereavement, or abuse can cause real psychological distress, not just momentary discomfort. Far from undermining art, trigger warnings create a more inclusive space where everyone can participate safely, and real people are benefiting. Reddit user the_pleiades wrote in a thread about the Game of Thrones spin off House of the Dragon: 'Honestly, the trigger warning in season 1 of House of Dragon about miscarriage/pregnancy loss was very helpful for me to mentally prepare and make sure I was ready to watch something traumatic that I personally experienced and hadn't fully processed.' There are also numerous examples of the negative outcomes that can result from a lack of trigger warnings. Saving Private Ryan, the classic 1998 film about World War II, is a famous example. The Omaha Beach landing scene in the film was so accurate that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs had to set up a toll-free hotline within the first three days of the film's release to help World War II veterans who were triggered by it. More Trending In fact, a spokesperson at the time issued a statement to The Deseret Sun, that read: 'Counselors at VA medical facilities have been asked to prepare to assist veterans who experience emotional trauma as a result of the movie.' The Department of Veterans Affairs later reported that the hotline received hundreds of calls from deeply distressed veterans. If you don't like trigger warnings because you think they're condescending or 'ruin the surprise,' don't look at them. Most theatres only include them in the programme for the show, with a few stating them on a subtle sign in the lobby. Even if trigger warnings are unavoidable, is 'spoiling' a surprise really too high a price to pay for making theatre more inclusive and accessible? Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: New car-free streets in London 'just the beginning' of summer business boost MORE: Controversial Snow White remake finally hits Disney+ and fans are split MORE: Rachel Zegler's West End debut sparks controversy over shock move
