Eamonn Holmes didn't hold back as he picked up his first award since leaving This Morning last year. The presenter was all smiles as he attended the Television and Radio Industries Club (Tric) Awards on Wednesday afternoon (July 6) where he picked up news presenter of the year.
He said he was “very proud” of the recognition after he started his brand new role on GB News where he hosts the channel’s new Breakfast With Eamonn And Isabel programme at the start of the year. Eamonn announced back in December that he was joining the network, sealing his exit from This Morning.
The veteran broadcaster had hosted the popular ITV show for 15 years alongside wife Ruth Langsford. While she has remained working with ITV on Loose Women, and is set to make a This Morning comeback over the summer, Eamonn hidden his dismay over his former employer.
During a winner's press conference at the Tric Awards, he said: “I did not resign from ITV, ITV resigned from me. I never received a single explanation once of why they wanted rid of me, no matter what you have been told."
Speaking about his first day at GB News, he added: "I walked into the newsroom, I stood up and they applauded me. It doesn’t get any better than that, it was very emotional. It was nice to belong. It was nice to feel that you have a role to play. You don’t become any less of a broadcaster because you get older."
A spokeswoman for ITV said at the time of Eamonn's exit: “We would like to wish Eamonn all of the very best in his new role. As a duo, Eamonn and Ruth have been part of the This Morning presenting team for the last 15 years and we thank Eamonn for all of his hard work and contribution to the show."
Meanwhile, during his winner's speech at the annual ceremony in front of many of his former ITV co-stars including This Morning duo Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, the 62-year-old was heard to say: "Good Morning Britain we’re coming for you."
Later, when he was asked whether he thought GB News had a chance of overtaking the ITV show, especially without Piers Morgan, he said: “Oh God yes. No (I don’t think their standards are slipping), I just think our standards are amazing. We are the people’s channel." He added that he predicts GB News will overtake the ITV morning breakfast show "hopefully next year".
Eamonn beat Clive Myrie, Victoria Derbyshire and Stephen Dixon to claim the news presenter of the year award. He added: "I think you’re very lucky to work in television… I was 10 years of age and I wanted to be a news anchor. I am a news anchor. Forty-two years later, I’m still winning awards, which is good."
However, Good Morning Britain won the multi-channel news prize, beating GB News Breakfast, BBC Breakfast and BBC News Team which was picked up by many of the show's stars including Susanna Reid, Kate Garraway, Charlotte Hawkins, Sean Fletcher and Ranvir Singh.
Other winners at the awards included This Morning who won in the OK! daytime category over A Place in the Sun, Loose Women and Steph’s Packed Lunch while BBC journalist Clive, who spent time in Kyiv earlier in the year reporting on the conflict in Ukraine, was presented with the special award.
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