Ruth Langsford: ‘Age? It just makes you more confident!’

Ruth Langsford talks exclusively about staying in shape, her love of ‘glamming up’ – and how Eamonn makes her laugh on air

Depending on the day, you can see Ruth Langsford on This Morning, Loose Women and now brand-new show Do The Right Thing With Eamonn & Ruth, which she presents alongside hubby Eamonn Holmes, Capital FM’s Roman Kemp and former MP Ann Widdecombe. The mum-of-one has been married to Eamonn since 2010. Here, she talks to best about her relationship, a very spoilt rescue dog and how tough it is to hold on to your figure as you get older…

Ruth, you’re looking fabulous. Have you still got your post- Strictly glow?

Well, thank you – but I do miss being as fit as I was while I was doing the show. I can already feel the muffin top creeping back, and the legs are not as toned as they were – they’ve gone a bit spongy. It was extraordinary seeing how my body shape changed – and so quickly, too. But it’s no wonder, because Strictly is like doing four or five hours of aerobics a day.

What a terrible thought!

Yes, but because I love dancing, it didn’t feel terrible. That is the key to keeping in shape – find something you love. I mean, I eat well, I have treats, I drink a bit. But I realise I can’t have the shape I want without exercising. I’m 58. You have to keep moving. It’s not rocket science.

Do you stay in touch with Anton [Du Beke]?

I do – he’s fabulous and his wife, Hannah, is adorable. Eamonn and I went to see his stage show with [singer] Mollie King and her sister. Anton and Erin [Boag] are brilliant. Eamonn turned to me at one point and said, ‘Oh, so that’s what you were supposed to look like!’

‘If you want to be slimmer, do it for yourself, nobody else’

Eamonn can be cheeky!

He can – he’s so mischievous and he makes us all laugh. I sometimes forget I’m on TV and say, ‘Oh you’re touching my bottom’, and then think, ‘Here come the headlines’! But there aren’t many who can do light and shade like Eamonn. He’s brilliant at the funny stuff, as well as serious stories.

Does your son Jack ever get embarrassed by having famous parents?

He’s actually very cool about it all – he’s grown up with it. He’s never known anything other than us being on telly. And we would never do anything that would intentionally embarrass our son. When I did Strictly, he got a lot of positive attention, because everyone loves the show so much.

Do you enjoy getting glammed up?

Oh, I love it. But it is hard work. That’s the wonderful thing about photoshoots – a whole team of people make you look incredibly glamorous with a wind machine, a make-up artist, hair extensions, the works. I’m quite happy to say, ‘ Yes, this is airbrushed and that isn’t my real hair’, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love it.

So, how are you trying to get back in shape?

It’s tricky, because I would love to do, say, Zumba once a week, but I can’t commit to it, because my schedule is all over the place. I do my 10,000 steps a day and it’s a good feeling – if I get to 8,500, I’ll walk around the kitchen and run up and down the stairs. I also use a personal trainer when I have the time.

Is Eamonn complimentary about how you look?

He always is. He definitely likes me with curves – Eamonn wouldn’t be attracted to a skinny woman. I’m very lucky – he wouldn’t mind if I was bigger. If you want to be slimmer, do it for yourself, nobody else. The older I get, the more confident I am in myself.

Speaking of Eamonn – huge congratulations on his OBE!

Thank you, we’re so proud and thrilled. It’s so well deserved. We’re very excited about going to Buckingham Palace to collect it. I’m going to have to plan my outfit, aren’t I?

Aren’t you two working together on a new show?

We are – it’s called Do The Right Thing With Eamonn & Ruth and it’s a programme about people championing unsung heroes and fighting for consumer rights. There will be lovely, heart-warming stories and campaigns – some of it will make you quite angry!

Would you do any more reality shows?

I don’t really think of Strictly as a reality show – I did it because I wanted to learn to dance. I definitely wouldn’t do the I’m A Celebrity… jungle, although I would be good at the cooking, and I could eat the bugs! But I’m very claustrophobic, so those tunnel things fill me with dread. And Big Brother – no! They’re all too untidy for me – I’d be, like, ‘ Why can’t people pick things up off the floor?’ I would fall out with people on day one about that. And Dancing On Ice? No way! I’m too old for that, I would worry about falling and breaking a hip!

Do The Right Thing With Eamonn & Ruth is on Thursday 8 March, 9pm, Channel 5