“Katie Alexander will never replace me” – Ruth Langsford’s fury as Eamonn Holmes flaunts romance with new girlfriend at star-studded engagement party, after years of standing by him through illness and surgery - suong

Eamonn Holmes and his girlfriend Katie Alexander looked happier than ever as they attended an engagement party for his GB News co-star Nana Akua and her fiancé, Stephen Gillen.

And now, sources reveal to Closer where his ex-wife Ruth Langsford stands on the situation, particularly as Katie, 43, is said to have been praised for her attentiveness towards Eamonn as he battles with ailing health.

Eamonn Holmes and Katie Alexander at Nana Akua's engagement party ©Photo by Timmie/Shutterstock

A fellow partygoer tells Closer, ‘They arrived at an engagement party at Blue Marlin Ibiza London last week, and friends were excited to see the chemistry between Eamonn and Katie had ramped up. They couldn’t have looked closer, and were more in tune with one another than ever.

‘Eamonn told partygoers that in sickness you find out who is there for you – Katie is certainly that person and he knows he’s a very lucky man. He is very much reliant on her, and Katie says she’s in it for the long haul. It is a bit of a kick in the teeth for Ruth because she had been there from the beginning and originally helped him through all of his operations. So for Ruth, it’s a shock as she was there from the start and Katie can never replace that.’

Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford in 2015 ©(Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

Northern Irish broadcaster Eamonn, 65, was married to Loose Women anchor Ruth, also 65, for 14 years before they announced their split in May last year. News of their marriage breakdown came on the heels of Ruth’s admissions about caring for her now estranged husband, who underwent surgery for chronic back pain in late 2023 and now relies on a stroller, wheelchair or cane for support.

At the time, Ruth – who has 23-year-old son Jack with Eamonn – said, ‘I don’t know how much Eamonn’s mobility will improve. We live in hope. He does the physio, but there might have to be some acceptance that this might never be 100% right.

Ruth on the Loose Women panel ©Shutterstock

‘With any care situation – and there are millions of carers in this country – it isn’t always easy but if something happens to somebody you love, you help them as much as you can.’

But with Katie now seemingly taking over the role of caregiver, an insider adds, ‘Eamonn confided he was looking forward to whisking Katie away for a well-deserved break soon too, telling pals she is his soulmate. She’s happy, and they are smitten with each other.’