Bauble bust-up sparks TV exit for Eamonn
Holmes’s fury over Xmas decoration for FM leads to axe for telly hosts
A ROW over presenting ing a Christmas bauble to Nicola Sturgeon on sparked the sackingg of Eamonn Holmes from om This Morning, it has been claimed.
The First Minister er wanted to present the he TV legend, and his wife fe Ruth Langsford, with a Scottish Christmas tree e decoration.
Sturgeon suggested d the idea before she appeared on the ITV show on December 6 last year, in the run-up to the general election.
The show’s editor, tor, Martin Frizell, proposed sed the TV couple presented the FM with a This Morning-themed Christmas bauble in return.
It’s alleged that a fuming Holmes objected.
The 60- year-old apparently said that it broke strict impartiality rules for broadcasters in the weeks before an election.
Holmes’ refusal left
Frizell fizzing, with show insiders claiming the pair’s relationship was “never quite the same”.
A source told the Mail On Sunday : “Martin exploded, saying he was the editor and he decided what happened on the show.
“He then refused to go to Eamonn’s dressing room for the pre-show meeting meet with the presenters. pr The producer pro was having to rrun back and forth between bet the news r ooomo and the dressing dre room to convey conv Eamonn’s fury to MaMartin and Martin’s fury tto Eamonn.” Meanwhi Me l e, an insider inside on This Morning last nignight said: “What is one person’spe argument might be another person’s person’ debate.” It cocomes as Holmes and Langsford,Lan both 60, are said to be “furious and upset” aabout their This Morning axe. Under the shake-up, the pair won’twon host the show on FridaFridays any more, but they will still host it for six weeks in the summer. An insider said: “ITV has been open about wanting to diversify and make the show ‘ less white’ but they haven’t tried to find anything else for them.” They will be replaced by former Big Brother cont e st ant Al i son Hammond and X Factor host Dermot O’Leary.