EAMONN Holmes fought back tears on his podcast – just hours after his dramatic fall live on air.
on set just two weeks after he was rushed to hospital in another fall.
was hailed as a “trooper”;; by his colleagues – who praised him for keeping calm and carrying on.
Just hours after the accident, the broadcaster was left in floods of tears as he remembered his late father during a podcast interview with former boxer Barry McGuigan.
On Thursday, Eamonn was filming the second episode for his Things We Like podcast when an story about Barry’s father, Pat – who passed away at the age of 52 – appeared visibly upset.
Eamonn recalled how Barry’s father would sing the traditional Irish melody Danny Boy from the ring before many of his fights.
Eamonn said: “Your dad was a special man. I know he was very special to you.
“Barry used to come out to the ring to Danny Boy; it would be emotional, I’m sure Barry’s the same.”;;
Eamonn fought back tears and he added: “It brings tears to my eyes, because of my own dad, for reasons I won’t go into.”;;
He then asked Barry, who won theBritish featherweight title in 1983, how emotional that was for him.
Barry also struggled to speak, with his voice breaking, he said: “My old man. My dad was very important to me.”;;
He paused for a moment before he continued and said: “He saw me winning the world title and he died unfortunately at 52.
“So he was only a young man. But he was great, he was a really big part of my life.”;;
Singer Pat, who represented Ireland at the 1968EurovisionSong Contest, died in 1987 following a period of ill health.
While Eamonn’s father Leonard suffered a fatal heart attack while driving in the countryside of Northern Ireland aged 65 and recalled the harrowing experience in his 2006 autobiography, This Is My Life.
SAD LOSS
The presenter had been in London over Easter in 1991 when his parents and younger brother Conor spent the weekend in their caravan in seaside town Ballycastle, Antrim.
Following the weekend, Eamonn called his parent’s home on April 3 hoping to hear all about their trip however there was no answer, nor to the call he made 30 minutes later.
At 7pm that night, Eamonn received a phonecall from his other brother Colm who told him of their father’s death after he had taken ill returning from their trip.
The broadcaster wrote in his book that his father became unwell suddenly and had pulled over on the road and couldn’t move from the driver’s seat – but on a country road and without a phone the wasn’t much Eamonn’s mother Josie could do.
By chance a family friend, John Linehan, had been visiting the area and came to their aid while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.
Eamonn wrote: “When John got to the car, Daddy was still in the driver’s seat. Mum had already flagged someone down who telephoned for help.
“Conor, loyal to the end, took on the role of an adult and was still on the back seat, leaning over holding on to his dad.
He continued: “He grew up a lot that night. Realising his distress, John steered him away from what was going on. He then knelt beside Dad.
“As they waited for an ambulance, John kept talking to him until he became unconscious. He tried to resuscitate him but by the time the ambulance crew got there it was too late.
“At sixty-five years old, before he could retire from work and spend many more days with Mum, a heart attack had taken my dad away from us.”;;
Upon hearing the devastating news, Eamonn rushed to Heathrow airport and managed to get on the final flight to Belfast so he could be with his family.
The TV star said that his mother Josie never got over Leonard’s death, while Eamonn explained that he never got over the grief of seeing his father’s body in the mortuary.
EAMONN’S FALL
Eamonn’s emotional podcast recording comes after he
Speaking at the end of the show, Eamonn told viewers: “The chair gave way and I was lying flat on my back with my head hanging off the set.
“The first hour or so I was OK because the adrenaline kicked in, but then as the morning went on I felt the aches and pains.
“The worst thing is that two weeks ago I was hospitalised for a similar fall in the same area, back of my neck, head and shoulders and that’s all come back.”;;
He added: “We’re going to have to replace the chairs because I’m not the only one to have fallen.”;;
Commentator Charlie Rowley, who was on-screen whenthis morning, also paid tribute to the veteran host.
He wrote on X: “Eamonn, you are the real hero for carrying on this morning.
“A true professional and National Treasure who I learn from each and every week. It’s a privilege working with you, Ellie Costello and the rest of the GBNewsfamily. Take care!”;;
At the end of the show, in conversation with colleagues Andrew Pierce and Bev Turner, Bev told viewers: “Now, if you weren’t watching earlier this morning, you will have missed our resident stunt man,Eamonn Holmes.
“Eamonn, as we know, struggles with hishealthat the moment. He has some good days, he has some bad days. Well this morning it turned out it was a bad day.”;;
“Unfortunately we have these chairs on wheels so we can jump in and out quickly.
“We have to jump to the camera, we have to nip out to the loo sometimes, and sometimes we have 30 seconds to do that.
“Eamonn pushed his chair back this morning and ended up on the floor.”;;
Andrew continued: “Eamonn was flat out, 180 degree angle, saying ‘carry on’.
“He shouted from under the desk, he did carry on and he got up and carried on with the show. What a trooper he is.”;;
