Ruth Langsford tells Woman how she and Eamonn have coped throughout the struggles of the pandemic...
One of the reasons Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes are so popular with viewers on This Morning is their witty banter, with fans often commenting on how hilarious the pair are on-screen – and it’s Eamonn’s ability to make her smile and laugh that has kept Ruth going throughout lockdown.
The couple - who have been married for 11 years but together for 24 – have been locked down just the two of them in their Surrey home throughout the pandemic as their son is Jack away at University, but, luckily, it’s laughter that keeps their marriage going during the hard times, despite the recent This Morning shake-up.
"We have a lot of banter, which is what I think people like about us on TV," the presenter tells Woman. "You couldn't have that kind of banter with somebody unless you have a huge respect and love for them because it would be considered rude. But he knows I’ll laugh."
Healthy humour
Keeping each other guessing is something that Ruth, who turns 61 this week, credits to her Eamonn’s marriage standing the test of time. "I can never 100 per cent call Eamonn on what he'll think about something," she tells Woman. "I’m pretty close most of the time, but sometimes he’ll surprise me. We still find things out about each other."
And after all these years together, Eamonn, 61, is still Ruth’s favourite person to spend time with, telling us, "If you said, 'you've got one person you can go out for dinner with,' it would be him, because we don't run out of things to talk about.’"
Lockdown struggles
Being stuck inside 24/7 with our families over the past year has been tough - something Ruth can relate to. "Eamonn and I have spent a lot of time together and we're still married - so that's good," she laughs, adding, "It’s testing isn't it. I miss seeing my friends."
Ruth - who recently said she still feels low following her sister's death - tells us that one thing that always kept their marriage strong, pre-pandemic, was spending time apart. "We’re not in each other’s pockets," she tells us. ‘We both do our own things, so we have stuff to talk about."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMAEXsiL0Zk
So it’s undoubtedly been hard on the couple spending so much time alone together, especially with Jack, 19, leaving for University last September.
"Eamonn and I will bicker and argue about the small stuff," Ruth says, though she adds, "but the serious things in life, we're very together. We've both seen what we consider to be good marriages from our parents, which is not perfect - people argue and fall out. You have to work at a marriage."
Future plans
Although Ruth - who recently confessed she was done with dieting - and Eamonn may have more freedom now, with Jack being away and not hosting This Morning every Friday, there’s no danger of Ruth quitting telly any time soon.
The star admits, "If you'd have asked me in my 20s or 30s, 'Will you still be on television at 60?' I’d have said, 'Absolutely not. Don’t be silly.' But I’m loving working at 61."
And launching her Ruth Langsford QVC range has been the icing on the cake - her signature denim jacket sold out in a record three minutes! "I'm so thrilled and still have those pinch me moments," Ruth tells us. "I can't quite believe it's happening to me. I love every part of the process, I'm very hands on and involved.
"I like to think that's why it's successful, because I know my brand. I'm basically designing clothes for myself - therefore I’m also designing clothes for women who are 60 plus."
A big motivator for Ruth is making women of a certain age feel comfortable. "So many older women over 50 say they start to feel invisible and I think that's a horrible thing," she tells us. "Nobody should be made to feel invisible. I love fashion, but I'm too old to be uncomfortable, I did all that in my youth. The women I'm designing for are all my age. We're all going to get older together and long may it continue. It feels like I've got a whole new career."
And with Ruth celebrating her 61st birthday this week, she’s got plenty to be excited about, including another new chapter with Eamonn. "We can go on holiday when we like now, there are so many great things about being in your 60s."
Hear, hear!
