Ruth Langsford has revealed the emotional toll of her split from husband Eamonn Holmes, speaking candidly about the therapeutic journey she embarked on after their separation. The 66-year-old Loose Women star shared that following her 27-year-long relationship with Eamonn, which ended in May 2024, she sought therapy to process her feelings and cope with the heartbreak. Ruth described how the therapy sessions helped her through the overwhelming sadness, saying she spent weeks “crying so much” during her sessions.
Speaking on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, Ruth shared that seeking therapy was “the best thing” she could have done during this challenging period. “I was doing it once a week, sometimes twice a week, and now it’s much less but still there,” she explained. “She doesn’t take sides, just lets me talk and leads me in certain directions. One of the first things she said to me was, ‘Your marriage is over.’ It was quite blunt. I said, ‘I know,’ and she said, ‘Well, until you accept that, you’re not going to find it easy to move on.’”
This blunt truth, Ruth revealed, has stayed with her, helping her come to terms with the end of her marriage. “Once you accept it, and go: ‘The fight’s over, isn’t it?’” Ruth said, reflecting on how important that moment was in her journey of acceptance.
While Ruth admitted that dating and the prospect of finding love again is not at the forefront of her mind, she has not ruled out the possibility of remarrying in the future. “I haven’t been put off by men, haven’t been put off love, haven’t been put off marriage. But am I looking? Am I on the apps? Absolutely no,” she clarified, adding that she’s not currently interested in dating.
Meanwhile, her ex-husband Eamonn has already moved on, striking up a relationship with relationship counselor Katie Alexander, who is 22 years his junior. While Ruth did not express any animosity, the news of Eamonn’s quick relationship shift has caught public attention.
In addition to speaking about her split, Ruth also tearfully opened up about the profound grief she has experienced after the tragic suicide of her beloved sister, Julia Johnson, in 2019. Ruth shared that losing Julia, who had struggled with depression for many years, left her with an endless cycle of questions. “I just miss her so much, but I know she would not want me to have a sad life,” Ruth said. “I did a lot of crying. I did a lot of time off work. Then I thought, ‘She doesn’t want this for you. You need to get back out there.’ And work has always been my savior, actually.”
Ruth’s sister Julia, who was 62 when she passed away, had battled depression for years before taking her own life. Ruth expressed the difficulty of trying to understand the reasons behind her sister’s decision, admitting that there were no clear answers. “You just think you could have done something. Why didn’t we see it? How could we not have seen it?” Ruth said, acknowledging the deep pain that comes with losing someone to suicide. “And there are no answers because she’ll never be able to tell us why.”
Despite the immense grief, Ruth has found solace in her work, which helped her cope with the tragedy. “I just miss her so much, but I know she wouldn’t want me to have a sad life,” Ruth shared. “She would want me to get back to doing what I do. And that’s what helped me get through.”
Ruth’s openness about her journey through both heartbreak and grief offers a powerful testament to the strength it takes to keep moving forward after life’s toughest challenges. While she continues to focus on her personal healing, Ruth’s resilience and commitment to finding peace, both in her personal and professional life, serve as a reminder to others that even in the darkest times, there is always hope and support to be found.
