Eamonn Holmes' bitter battle as GB News host lost house months before Ruth Langsford split

Eamonn Holmes candidly revealed that a gruelling five-year dispute with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) left him feeling "bitter" months before the collapse of his marriage to Ruth Langsford.

The veteran broadcaster, aged 64, was compelled to sell his cherished Belfast property to settle a hefty £250,000 tax bill, in addition to forking out what's believed to be "hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees". Eamonn had insisted that he operated as a freelancer during his tenure at ITV but a tribunal in 2020 ruled he was an employee and tax officials ordered the GB News presenter to pay a decades worth of backdated national insurance and tax payments.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Eamonn shared how it ranked as "the most stressful outside of losing my father", expressing his frustration to The Irish Times, saying: "I had a house here [Belfast] until six weeks ago when I was forced to sell it by the Inland Revenue [HMRC]. It's something I'm very bitter about because people think you earn lots of money and therefore you have to pay. It's like they have taken away everything I ever worked for."

He also touched upon the wider implications of such tax crackdowns, stating: "People think it's only the Eamonn Holmeses of this world that they're after. But it's not. The country is broken. I was like a lamb to the slaughter it was the most stressful, humiliating experience."

His health struggles were also triggered, including a serious shingles episode in 2018 that "looked as if someone had taken a baseball bat to my face and smashed me about a bit" and could have resulted in blindness. Recent months have seen Eamonn needing the aid of a wheelchair and cane for mobility after undergoing spine surgery due to chronic back pain.

There are concerns about whether he will fully recover his mobility.

The unexpected news of Ruth and Eamonn's marriage, once the golden couple of TV, parting ways after 27 years - 14 of those in matrimony. They announced their separation with a joint statement: "Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes have confirmed their marriage is over and they are in the process of divorcing."

Worries had been escalating for the beloved pair, who served on ITV's This Morning together for many years, when fans noted their absence from shared photos in recent months. An insider attributed the split to work commitments pulling their marriage "taking their marriage in different directions", adding that they are "determined to stay friends and keep things amicable" for their 22 year old son, Jack.

The Mail on Sunday has reported that Eamonn has now vacated the family residence in Weybridge, Surrey. He is reportedly "furious' about the split, which insiders say has " about the separation, which insiders claim has been largely driven by Ruth.

It has come to light that the joint statement released over the weekend announcing their divorce was not so mutual. Eamonn allegedly told friends he "didn't want to get involved" and that "Ruth can do what she wants, but keep me out of it".

Prior to the news going public, it is believed that Eamonn spent months attempting to salvage his marriage. However, Ruth was resolute in her decision to leave.

Those close to the couple suggest that the marriage had actually ended at least a year ago. When questioned about the state of his marriage, Eamonn would reportedly become "very angry indeed" and was seemingly "struggling to accept it".

A source added: "Eamonn's preferred way was not to tell anyone. Deep down he knew it couldn't carry on, but he was kind of sticking his head in the sand. He is very upset indeed."

Express has reached out to representatives for Eamonn and Ruth for additional comments on this story.