Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford kept relationship secret for two years – here's why
Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford are celebrating their wedding anniversary later this month and while they've been married for 13 years, their romance began almost 25 years ago.
The couple first met in the mid-90s when they were introduced by their mutual friend, TV presenter Sally Meen.
The pair decided to keep their romance under wraps for the first two years and would rarely go to events together or hold hands in public.
Eamonn wanted to be respectful towards his ex-wife Gabrielle, who he divorced in 1996, and their children – Declan, Rebecca and Niall.
MORE: Eamonn Holmes' 'deadly serious' clashes with wife Ruth Langsford amid health struggle
Ruth was clearly impressed by Eamonn's sensitivity, telling the Daily Mail in 2017: "I thought it spoke volumes about the sort of man he was, the sort of father he was and the integrity he had. It made me love him more, not less."
After 13 years together, Eamonn decided to pop the question via text message during a day out at the Cheltenham races with their friends – but Ruth didn't see the text until the car journey home!
"Eamonn says he was looking at me across the room and had one of 'those moments'. He said I was laughing and having so much fun and looking so lovely that he thought to himself, 'Why I am not married to this woman?'" she said in an interview with the Belfast Telegraph.
Ruth revealed that his love letter was "three or four pages long" and ended with the big question: "Would you please marry me?"
"My bag had been lying under a table and I hadn’t heard my phone beep so it wasn't until we were in the car on the way home that I saw it. We had a driver and we were both sitting in the back of the car and Eamonn said he heard my phone," Ruth explained.
The couple tied the knot on 26 June 2010 at The Elvetham hotel in Hampshire and shared their big day exclusively with HELLO! magazine.
SEE: 13 Loose Women stars with unforgettable engagement rings
"I was meant to be married - I never saw any joy in the bachelor lifestyle and when I met Ruth, not only did I fall deeply in love with her, but she had so many attributes that I admire," the GB News star told HELLO! at the wedding.
"She's a wonderful mummy to Jack, a fantastic partner both personally and professionally, and now, I'm proud to say, she's my beautiful wife."
Their son Jack, who is now 21, was pageboy, while Niall was an usher and Eamonn's daughter Rebecca was one of the bridesmaids alongside Ruth's sister Julia Johnson, best friends Jennie Penhallow and Sam Balshaw, and her mum Joan.
The Loose Women star looked breathtaking on her big day in a pearl-coloured silk taffeta confection by Italian designer Angelina Colarusso, which was adorned with tiny Swarovski crystals.
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