Eamonn Holmes’ representatives have hit back at claims that ITV diminished his role on This Morning after research showed he had become less popular with viewers.
The Irish presenter – who now hosts the daily breakfast show on the divisive current affairs station GB News – had been with This Morning for 15 years prior to his exit in December.
While he and wife Ruth Langsford had been best known for hosting the daytime show every Friday, ITV announced in 2020 that this slot was being given to new presenting duo Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond, with Eamonn and Ruth being moved to school holiday cover.
At the end of last year, Eamonn revealed he was leaving This Morning to join GB News, with reports in the Mail on Sunday suggesting that prior to his exit, he’d become less popular among daytime viewers.
The outlet quoted an “insider” who claimed that Eamonn’s “popularity had waned”, according to research carried out in the lead-up to his exit.
However, in a statement issued to HuffPost UK, Eamonn’s agent said: “I don’t believe an ‘insider’ said anything that was official as ITV have always behaved with great respect to [talent agency] InterTalent.
“It is simply not true that research showed that viewers no longer wanted to watch Eamonn Holmes. Research has actually showed Eamonn rated better than others who replaced him on This Morning.”
HuffPost UK has contacted ITV for additional comment.
Over the weekend, Eamonn branded ITV “sly” while opening up about the nature of his exit from This Morning.
He also claimed the station had intentionally “made it look as if I’d walked away from them rather than the other way round”.
However, this was disputed by ITV, who said: “This isn’t a version of events that we recognise and as we have said before we wish Eamonn all of the very best.”
A source also contested Eamonn’s claims to HuffPost UK, insisting that it had been his decision to step down from This Morning and that it “absolutely was explained what the plans for the show moving forward were”.
When Eamonn’s exit was first announced, a rep for ITV said: “We would like to wish Eamonn all of the very best in his new role. As a duo, Eamonn and Ruth have been part of the This Morning presenting team for the last 15 years and we thank Eamonn for all of his hard work and contribution to the show.”
Eamonn previously said of the move shortly before his GB News debut: “Put it this way, I’m looking forward to a move somewhere new where they’re pleased to have me. But I wish everyone well at ITV.”
In recent history, Eamonn had come under fire on several occasions due to remarks he’d made during This Morning’s live broadcasts.
This included when he repeatedly interrupted Femi Oluwole during a debate about the use of the word “slaves” in the song Rule Britannia and when he compared Dr Zoe Williams’ hair to an alpaca, for which he later apologised.
Prior to this, he was criticised for branding the Duchess of Sussex “uppity” on This Morning, and while a spokesperson for the show said this had been a “point of learning” for the presenter, Eamonn later insisted that he “hadn’t learnt anything” from the incident.
Early in the pandemic, Eamonn also sparked a response from Ofcom when his comments about a debunked 5G conspiracy theory incited hundreds of complaints to the TV watchdog.