KERRY Katona has defended Eamonn Holmes after he used a racial slur on GB News today.
Eamonn, 65, left Kerry momentarily stunned during a live interview, before he was forced to reluctantly apologise to viewers.
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Kerry, 45, had appeared on the breakfast show to take part in a debate on plastic surgery.
She touched her eyelids and explained her recent eye lift procedure, before the news anchor asked: “Are you happy with the eyes?”
He added: “And you don’t look Oriental or anything do you?”
In 2021, police were instructed to stop using the term “Oriental” when recording race-hate crimes involving people from China and South East Asia.
The Home Office also issued guidance removing the word from the approved list of ethnic categories, stating the term is “offensive.”
Taking to her Instagram Story this afternoon, Kerry insisted that she wasn’t offended by Eamonn’s remark.
She said: “Right guys I’ve literally just come out from getting my facial, getting my Botox done and I’ve just seen the papers and the press.
“Eamonn Holmes has been one of my oldest and longest friends and I absolutely adore and love him to bits he said absolutely nothing untoward, towards me – I wasn’t offended in anyway shape or form.
“I absolutely adore Eamonn, I truly adore him.”
Eamonn was ordered to apologise for using the slur and appearing to insinuate that Kerry wouldn’t want “Oriental eyes”.
But he was clearly annoyed and fumed: “Apparently you’re not allowed to describe someone as looking Oriental or…
“I don’t know how I would end up describing Kerry Katona if her eyes change shape.
“I don’t know how I’m going to say, does she look like someone from some other country in the eastern of the world… the world is ridiculous.
“How you have to apologise for people… if she painted herself or… I don’t know I can’t get into this. But anyway.”
His co-host Ellie scrambled to ease the situation, saying: “But Kerry looks beautiful.”
Eamonn agreed, saying: “Kerry looks well, I’m sorry if you don’t look well or we have offended you in any way or… oh I don’t know.”
It comes weeks after Eamonn appeared to take a tumble off screen.
He sparked concern when he slipped off his chair and disappeared from behind his desk.
Eamonn appeared to be OK whne he addressed the fall after an extended advert break.
After a lengthy six minute interval, the broadcaster returned to screens, joking “I’m alive” as he blamed the “wonky” wheels on his chair.
He said: “They’re very wonky wheels on chairs we’ve got here, as a matter of fact we don’t really like the chairs here.
“It was a shock for me because I had a fall two weeks ago in my bathroom that hospitalised me and that hit me right in the back.”
Eamonn added: “That hit me again right in the back. Really really sore, really sore.”
