Eamonn Holmes says doctors U-turned on spinal surgery when he was in operating theatre

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Eamonn Holmes says he now gets steroid injections in his spine after surgeons decided against surgery at the last minute

Eamonn Holmes has revealed how close he was to getting a risky surgery on his spine before doctors decided against the op.

The former This Morning presenter, 62, explained how he had been struggling for 18 months due to discs in his back and said he was all ready to go under the knife.

However, docs decided operating wasn't the way forward and - for now at least - he is dealing with the pain by receiving steroid injections.

Speaking to the Mirror about his on-going issues with his hips and back, the GB News presenter said: "My hips are fine. Seven years ago I had a bilateral hip operation – two hips replaced at once – and that went well.

Eamonn Holmes opened up about his back problems

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( Justin Kernoghan)

"The problem I’ve had for the last 18 months is discs that have dislocated in my back and protruded on both sides. On my right they killed my sciatic nerve in my leg. Then they dislodged on my left side, so last month it was an unexpected hospital admission in Belfast."

When asked whether they operated, the Northern Irishman continued: "Your spine is a very delicate thing and if there’s any chance it could go wrong, they shy away.

"I was scheduled for emergency surgery but in the operating theatre the surgeon thought again, and said, ‘I’m not going to do this’."

He described how he is now injected with steroids using a "very long needle".

"Surgery hasn’t been ruled out," he admitted. "But the steroids mean that you can’t feel the problem any more.

"I’m walking about better than I have in ages. I’m not using a crutch or a stick. And I genuinely feel good."

Eamonn admitted that the problem was at its worst while he was filming BBC's Farm to Feast last year.

"I had crutches, and every time there was a shot with me I threw them aside, but I couldn’t balance. But I just soldier through."

Eamonn Holmes with Michelin star chef Danni Barry and food critic Joris Minne as judges, Farm To Feast: Best Menu Wins

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( SM-IR Irish Pictures )

He joked that while there are plenty of cooking programmes already in circulation, his new offering offers up "a bit of Countryfile" too.

He continued: "What the world needs is another cookery programme, you know? There’s a bit of Countryfile in it, the cooking, the rivalry, and what was absolutely beautiful for me was the seven contestants and me.

"We were all strangers, and we came together on that programme and we have remained friends – we have our WhatsApp group and we go to each other’s houses. I mean, it’s brilliant having friends who are cooks."

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