Eamonn Holmes marks his 66th birthday today (Wednesday, December 3), carrying with him years of painful health battles — from chronic back issues to a recent eye operation. The broadcaster, who also went through a high-profile split from former wife Ruth Langsford last year, has spoken candidly about how illness has reshaped his life.
Back in 2024, during an appearance at the TRIC Awards, the Belfast-born presenter made a heartbreaking admission that he felt he was living on “borrowed time”, referencing how his father died of a heart attack at just 65. It was his first solo event following his separation from Ruth in June after 14 years of marriage, and he later confessed he had almost skipped the ceremony because of the pain he was in.
At the event he arrived in a wheelchair fitted with multiple “gadgets”, openly telling reporters he was “not OK” and that it was “not a good time at all”. He also revealed he had undergone a previous operation where “two things went wrong”, leaving “two things in my back I don’t want”.
Speaking to The Mirror, he said: “I wasn’t going to come, but I’ve got this new chair with all these gadgets. I had an operation a year and a half ago, and two things went wrong so I have two things in my back I don’t want. So I’ll happily accept this.”
Below is a look at Eamonn’s most significant health struggles — from double hip replacement surgery to shingles and eye injuries.
Double hip replacement
In 2016, Eamonn underwent a double hip replacement after living with debilitating pain for years. He had been “limping and dragging” one leg, unable to stand for long periods or walk long distances. For around five years, he was no longer able to stand with other dads at his son Jack’s football matches or watch him play golf.
He once remarked: “They’re all standing and I’m sitting there like an old man in the sturdy folding picnic chair.”
Shingles
In 2018, Eamonn revealed on Loose Women that he had contracted shingles during the lead-up to his son Declan’s wedding. The viral rash left his face swollen and covered in red marks — so severe that he was unable to present This Morning. “This is me with shingles looking like Quasimodo there,” he said, adding that the infection had been “quite brutal”.
Chronic back pain
By 2021, he was wrestling with worsening back issues reportedly caused by a “trapped sciatic nerve”. He admitted he didn’t even know how it had started but said the condition affected his daily life and often embarrassed his children as he moved around with crutches and a walking stick. “I don’t walk — it’s more of a wobble,” he told The Sun. “It has been very difficult this year.”
He added that he had been unable to walk for months, and the strain had worn down not only himself but also Ruth, who had taken on much of his care.
Back operation
The following year, he stepped back from his duties at GB News to undergo major back surgery after suffering a dislocated pelvis and three slipped discs. He explained to the Express that the medical team hoped the procedure would ease the pressure on his sciatic nerve, but it carried significant risks.
“It’s an operation that carries a 20 percent risk of going wrong,” he said, “but such is the pain and restrictions I’ve lived with for the past 18 months, it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Fractured shoulder
Later that same year, tragedy struck again when he fell at his Surrey home and fractured his shoulder. He told GB News: “It’s been a hellish few weeks. But day by day I’m improving and remaining positive and trying to look on the bright side.” He thanked NHS staff, calling them “amazing”.
Eye surgery
Just two months ago, in October, Eamonn revealed he had undergone surgery for an eye injury. He shared photos on Instagram showing his eye covered with bandages, saying one patch had been applied in hospital and joking that others “should see the other guy”. He did not reveal how the injury occurred.
As he turns 66, Eamonn continues to navigate pain, recovery, and resilience — often with humour, but never hiding the toll these struggles have taken on his life.
