Eamonn Holmes: ‘Daytime TV dull? Have you watched it?’
As This Morning celebrates 30 years, we catch up with Eamonn Holmes to talk tears, giggles and golden moments...
Hard to believe, but it will soon be 30 years since the very first This
Morning was broadcast, from Liverpool’s Albert Dock, on 3 October 1988. And mischievous Northern Irish TV broadcaster Eamonn Holmes, alongside his long-suffering wife and co-host Ruth Langsford, have been part of the fabric of the hit daytime chat show since the early 2000s.
Here, Eamonn, 58, takes a stroll with best down memory lane, and reveals why he thinks the show’s hit formula is bigger than any of its stars could ever be… Happy 30th anniversary, This Morning! Thank you! It’s very strange to see so much of your life pass by! My connection with This Morning actually predates my joining the show. I was presenting Open Air – the BBC alternative – back in 1988. Open Air ruled the airwaves till this show started. So originally, This Morning was my enemy – and the rivalry was intense! But 30 years ago, little did I think that I’d be working on the show that I tried to strangle at birth!
So when did you first appear on TM?
It was 2002. There was an idea to have a special This Morning for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, and put my wife, Ruth, and I on together. After that, the executives had the idea to make it a regular thing. Ruth was very anti it. She went, ‘No way!’ She said I made her nervous – she didn’t want to be an on-air couple at all. Ruth didn’t want me on it, and I don’t think she’s ever wanted me on it since, to be honest!
What is it like working with your partner?
Ruth cannot divorce our home life from our professional life – I can do it very easily. She will take any contradiction of her as dissent. I am constantly on the yellow card with her, waiting to be given the red. But we like to think we are carrying on that great tradition from the days of Richard and Judy. It’s not a manufactured relationship, it is as real as it gets, with flaws and all. When you work with your wife, their maternal instinct tends to kick in and you have to ‘sit down and behave yourself’.
You do seem to have a giggle on This Morning – it can be quite fruity!
Well, in the past few weeks, I have debated, ‘Should masturbation be taught in schools?’ and spoken to
a woman demonstrating how she strengthens her pelvic floor by lifting a tin of beans on a string. So, what can I say? People who say daytime television is safe or dull obviously don’t watch it. But I do think I can be like the naughty pupil in the class.
Do any moments stand out for you?
Well, we do This Morning for a third of a year – it’s a lot of shows, so we can’t remember all of it. But what you do remember is how amazing people are. When adversity strikes, they will do anything to protect their family. I love sitting with real people, and sometimes it’s so hard not to just reach out and hug them. Sometimes, I think the programme really has made a difference.
Have you had any favourite guests?
Well, just recently we had a 95-year-old lady who parachutes out of planes. She was just incredible and had this great attitude.
What’s the secret of This Morning’s success?
It taps into what people want to see. It’s not predictable. It doesn’t matter who is presenting it, whether it’s Ruth and I, Phillip and Holly, or Richard and Judy, This Morning is bigger than any presenter sitting there. The formula is right, and it will outlive all of us. It’s not all about who hosts it – it’s about the content and how the presenters communicate with the audience.
Do you think the show has changed a lot?
I think it’s not as tough as it was back in the 80s, because the audience has changed. Items you would have done 30 years ago – there would be totally different attitudes to them today. There is so much more tolerance, respect and understanding these days. The audience doesn’t expect you to come on, laugh at someone, mock them or call them weird. It’s a much more tolerant society nowadays.
Who would you tip as a hot presenting duo of the future?
How about Jeremy Clarkson and Ann Widdecombe?! Those two would be amazing. It’s written in the stars.
This Morning – 30 Unforgettable Years, ITV, Tuesday 2 October, 7.30pm