Eamonn Holmes pays tribute to Des O'Connor in first words since getting This Morning axe
EAMONN HOLMES - a host on This Morning - has broken his silence after it was reported that he and wife Ruth Langsford have been axed from their slot on the ITV daytime programme.
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Eamonn Holmes, 60, is said to be “furious” and “upset” after being “blindsided” by the news that he and Ruth Langsford, 60, are being "dropped" from their This Morning Friday slot after 14 years on the programme. The ITV presenter returned to his social media today in order to acknowledge the sad news that entertainer Des O’Connor had died aged 88 following a fall.
He was always a really nice man
Eamonn typed: “Not only did he radiate star quality he was always a really nice man to me down through the years.
"They don't make them like Des anymore. Rest in Peace,” he added.
Meanwhile, back in September, the couple were reported to be concerned about being dropped by This Morning.
The duo usually presents the show’s Friday slot, however, it is now likely they will only be called in during summer holidays when Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have their summer break, according to reports.
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It has been alleged that the longstanding TV couple will be replaced by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary as part of an ITV reshuffle.
The decision reportedly came after ITV chief Carolyn McCall sent out an email outlining her accelerated diversity and inclusion plan.
Previously Alison has spoken out about the need for more diversity on TV: “I don’t think it’s normal that you see a black person in my industry.
“There needs to be more people of colour. There needs to be more diversity.
“Then TV will represent society as it is,” she added.
An insider revealed to The Mirror that the pair are “pretty furious” over the news but sometimes “tough” decisions are inevitable.
They said: “Eamonn is pretty furious and everyone feels for him and Ruth, they are well-liked on the team, but sometimes tough decisions have to be made.”
Alison and Dermot are said to have impressed ITV bosses when they took over hosting duties recently.
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Earlier this year Eamonn responded to a fan after they tweeted that ITV should not “axe” him and Ruth for the sake of “diversity”.
The fan typed: “Executives at @thismorning best not be trying to axe @EamonnHolmes and @RuthieeL to fill their diversity quota.
“They’re brilliant hosts and nothing about the show needs changing! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! @ITV#ThisMorning#ITV.”
Eamonn replied with a praying hand emoji to the tweet.
Former This Morning host Fern Britton tweeted her disbelief that her former colleagues had been allegedly dropped by ITV.
The 63-year-old was the main presenter on This Morning alongside Phillip for ten years from 1999 till 2009, before Holly took over the role.
Fern retweeted a post from columnist Dan Wooton, who described the treatment of Ruth and Eamonn from ITV as “appalling” and “sad”.
Alongside the tweet, Fern reacted: “Oh no?”