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Ruth Langsford has opened up on her divorce from Eamonn Holmes in a new interview for the first time since they announced their shock split last year.
The Loose Women star, 64, discussed their ‘difficult’ break up after 14 years of marriage and 27 years together and how she has picked herself up and moved on.
Shortly after their separation, Eamonn went public with his new relationship with dating counsellor Katie Alexander, 43, while Ruth remains publicly single.
Speaking to woman&home about their divorce, Ruth is determined to look ahead and feels an enthusiasm for what’s next, including meeting someone new.
When asked how she is feeling now, Ruth said: ‘I’m alright. Relationship breakdowns are very difficult – marriage, friendship, whatever it is – but you just deal with it and you have to move on. You can either let yourself crumble or you pick yourself up and get on with life. It’s a choice.’
Ruth, who shares son Jack, 22, with Eamonn, added: ‘I’m not delighted my marriage is over but I’ve accepted that my marriage is over, so I am trying to now embrace the fact that I’m single and can make choices that are just about me.’
The former This Morning host, who co-presented the Friday show with her ex-husband Eamonn, went on to discuss navigating a break-up in the public eye.
She said: ‘A break-up of a relationship is hard enough for anybody to deal with. A divorce is very difficult and it’s very painful, but most people don’t have to do it in the public eye, with everybody having an opinion about you and writing things about you and commenting things about you.
‘But that’s the nature of my job. I’ve always had that and if you can’t cope with that, you shouldn’t be doing this job.’
Discussing being on her own again after the split, she said: I’m quite fine being on my own, but not forever.
‘When you’re in a relationship, it’s easy to say, “Great, I’ve got a weekend to myself,” but when you think that might be every weekend, it’s a different story.’
Ruth revealed that the toll of the situation has caused her to lose weight, while she also revealed a hormone check and the end of the menopause may have also been affected.
She said: ‘I have lost weight. Divorce obviously has something to do with it but I also went for a hormone check and rebalance, which helped. It could also hopefully mean that I’m coming to the end of menopause.’
Ruth also admitted that throwing herself into work over the past year has proved a welcome distraction from the heartache of her marriage ending.
She said: ‘For a lot of people, whatever troubles you have, work is something that you have to get up and do. For me, it’s always been a good thing to dust myself down and concentrate on something else.’
Before Christmas it was reported that the former couple are still only communicating through their lawyers.
The news came as the stars seemingly sent each other an olive branch following a rough year for them after their marriage collapsed.
It comes after Eamonn issued a public display of support for ex-wife Ruth, 64, as she paid an emotional visit to her unwell mother Joan in hospital earlier this week.
In his first notable contact with Ruth since their separation, the GB News presenter liked her post.
Ruth appeared to accept ex husband Eamonn’s peace offering and returned the like on a post of he and a his co-host Isabel Webster as they wrapped up their final show.
But MailOnline understands that the estranged couple’s relationship hasn’t thawed despite the cryptic move on Instagram.
Ruth’s ill-stricken mother Joan has always played an important part in Eamonn’s life, so it was important to him to like her post.
The couple confirmed their 14-year marriage was over in June were understood to be keen on a speedy divorce once Christmas and New Year are out of the way.
It’s understood that Eamonn and Ruth are hoping to settle their divorce imminently – with Ruth to keep their £3.5million Surrey mansion.
‘The aim is for Eamonn and Ruth to resolve their divorce as quickly as possible in the New Year,’ a source told The Sun.
‘Ruth is keen to stay in their marital home as it is where she is settled, Eamonn on the other hand wants to get out and make a fresh start. They aren’t dragging their heels and want this settled and done as quickly as possible.’
Eamonn recently sparked speculation that he is engaged to Alexander after she was spotted wearing a large ring on her engagement finger during a romantic getaway to Paris last week.
‘Eamonn has been talking openly about his plans to marry Katie and has made it clear he wants to spend the rest of his life with her,’ a source told The Sun.
‘They’re already living together and he knows it feels right. They have a very strong connection and get on very well. She has given him a real lust for life and she looks after him.’
In pictures obtained by the publication, the couple headed to the Louvre, with Alexander wearing a gold diamond ring on her engagement finger.
The counsellor was not pictured wearing the band at a Christmas carol concert in West London on December 5.
It was reported last month that Langsford has hired a ‘fierce’ divorce lawyer amid the bitter split.
As reported by The Sun, Catherine Costley has been called up by Loose Women host Ruth who seeks to end her 14-year marriage to Holmes with a financial settlement.
Costley is known for her fierce approach to divorce settlements and has said all women should have a ‘go bag’ fund when exiting a relationship, according to The Sun.
The divorce lawyer was once an apprentice of ‘Steel Magnolia’ Baroness Fiona Shackleton, Britain’s highest-profile divorce lawyer who famously represented Charles in his split from Diana in 1996.
Baroness Shackleton has also worked with A-list stars including Sir Paul McCartney, Liam Gallagher and Madonna.
She was once doused with water in court by a furious Heather Mills while representing the Beatles legend during the couple’s divorce in 2008.
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