Ruth Langsford swipes at reality TV stars and claims she ‘put work in’ for This Morning
This week it was revealed that Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes are to be replaced on This Morning by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary after 14 years hosting the daytime show
Ruth Lansford has taken a swipe at reality TV stars as she told how she and husband Eamonn Holmes ‘put the work in’ before landing their coveted roles on This Morning.
60-year-old Ruth made the comments just before it was announced that she and her hubby were to be replaced on their Friday presenting slots by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary.
Ruth said that she and Eamonn had spent years grafting their way to the top of the industry before appearing on the award-winning daytime ITV show, where they have been familiar faces for the last 14 years.
She told the Mirror Notebook: “We’ve put the work in. We didn’t do a reality show and get an overnight job on the telly. We’ve come up through the ranks.
“Eamonn was only 19 when he started out. And he was doing the teatime news in Belfast during The Troubles.
“It was heavy stuff. And he’s now got an OBE for services to broadcasting,” she proudly said of her husband.
The interview came just before it was revealed that the pair are to be replaced on Fridays by former Big Brother star Alison and Dermot.
Alison has enjoyed a more unconventional route into presenting after first shooting to fame on the Channel 4 reality show in 2002 before being recruited as a roving reporter on This Morning.
After impressing ITV bosses with her natural style and infectious personality, Alison went on to land regular presenting spots and even hosted and guest-edited the show for a special episode last month.
This week, the Mirror revealed revealed that ITV have decided to make Alison a permanent feature after viewers enjoyed her co-hosting with Dermot in October.
Just days before the switch-up was reported, Ruth gave an interview where she said she was not worried losing her job.
During a chat with new! magazine, Ruth was quizzed on how she’d cope if ITV replaced her and Eamonn on the daytime show.
“There’s always talk, I don’t know. Not that anybody’s told me,” Ruth claimed.
“I think I am very good at what I do, and as long as they want me I’ll be there.
“I’ve been doing it a very long time and it seems we’ve been very popular, so I presume all those things will be taken into consideration.”
In a shake-up of presenters, the couple will instead be given the job of hosting the main programme for six weeks in the summer holidays, when main hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby take a break.
An insider said: “ITV has been open about wanting to diversify and make the show ‘less white’ but they haven’t tried to find anything else for them.
“Ruth will remain on Loose Women and they will do school holidays. But Eamonn hasn’t been offered a role anywhere else on the channel, which is a real shame for him.”
Alison, who has been a roving reporter on the show for years, is said to have impressed producers with her chemistry with Eamonn and flair for presenting.
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