EAMONN Holmes is best known for hosting shows like This Morning and GB News.
But behind his many TV appearances lies a long history of health battles from painful surgeries to needing help getting dressed.
Hip replacement
After three decades of being reluctant to have a hip replacement, Eamonn finally underwent surgery on both in 2016.
He went ahead with the major op to tackle the chronic hip, leg and back pain, which caused him “sleepless nights”.
Eamonn made a good recovery from the surgery and went on to lose three stone in a battle to boost his health.
Shingles
In 2018, Eamonn was struck down with the viral infection that caused a painful rash.
He believed it 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.”
Slipped discs
In early 2021, Eamonn was rushed to hospital after suffering from “pain he’s never felt in his life”.
He told his social media followers: “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.”
The TV star soon discovered he had three slipped discs caused by the soft cushion of tissue between the bones in the spine bulging outwards.
This was affecting the movement in his right leg, which forced him to walk with a stick.
Eamonn had epidural injections to manage his pain, saying they “helped to a degree but didn’t cure the problem”.
Spinal surgery
Eamonn ended up in A&E after his spinal problems caused bladder and bowel issues in May 2022.
He spent nine days in hospital at The Royal Victoria Hospital, with doctors fearing that surgery would be too risky.
The This Morning star finally went under the knife in September 2022, saying: “It went well – the doctor tidied things up, and generally the pain has gone, which is brilliant.
“The flip side is that it has now left me with an issue in my left leg, which would collapse unexpectedly.”
Eamonn had undergone extensive physical therapy and had compared his journey to re-learning to walk.
The presenter had gone through a period of depending on crutches to walk and had lost nerves in his right leg due to the injury.
In September 2023, he was seen eating ice cream in a mobility scooter – sparking fears he could no longer walk.
Horror fall
Eamonn suffered a fall at his Surrey home which left him with a fractured shoulder last year.
His rep explained at the time: “As a consequence of being laid low by major surgery, Eamonn suffered a fall at home a couple of weeks ago and had to undergo another operation.
“He’s naturally gutted by the setback, but the good news is the surgery on his shoulder went well.
“He’s now receiving fantastic care and resting.
“Sadly, it means Eamonn is likely to need a longer period off TV than he first thought in order to get himself better and heal.”
Walking frame
On June 13, 2024, Eamonn was spotted using a walking frame after his shock split from Ruth Langsford.
The 64-year-old used the walking aid after getting a haircut in South West London.
A source who saw the GB News presenter said: “Eamonn was literally putting his best foot forward.
“It’s been a tough spell but he’s done with moping about and decided to cheer himself up with a short back and sides.
“The end of a marriage is tough for anyone, but Eamonn is determined to look forward.
“Life is for living. And he’s determined to try whatever is required to get back on his feet.”
We revealed last month that Eamonn and Ruth were getting divorced after 14 years of marriage.
The pair jointly presented ITV’s flagship show This Morning until 2021.
