Ruth Langsford has revealed her health fears – after seeing both her parents suffer from dementia. In a candid new interview, Ruth opened up about her divorce from ex-husband Eamonn Holmes, and also talked about cosmetic surgery and turning 65 in March. But it was the comments about her parents’ battles with Alzheimer’s that really stood out, reports OK!. “I’m a bit ‘head in the sand’ about Alzheimer’s,” she said in Woman & Home‘s March edition. “Both my parents have had it, I know what it entails and it horrifies me. There’s a test you can do to see if you’re more likely to get it, but, because there’s no medication to treat it, I’d rather not know. When I have senior moments, as people call them, I panic. Then I let it go, because I can’t bear to think about that.”.
The Loose Women star lost her father, Dennis, to dementia in 2012 and cares for her 93-year-old mum, Joan, who also has the condition. And now, a source claims that Ruth’s health worries have been heightened following her split from Eamonn last spring. “Ruth looks after her mum, so she’s very aware of Alzheimer’s, but it is scary for her,” they said. “She knows it runs in families and doesn’t want it to happen to her. It is at the back of her mind. She has been fearing more for her health, in that sense, since the split.”.
Ruth’s admission comes almost a year after separating from fellow TV presenter and husband of 14 years, Eamonn, 65. They were in a relationship for almost three decades and share 22-year-old son Jack. The pair announced their divorce last May with a joint statement, which read, “Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes have confirmed their marriage is over and they are in the process of divorcing.” Following the news, reports suggested their workloads were pulling the couple in “different directions”.
However, they have remained tight-lipped on what led to the decision, and GB News presenter Eamonn started seeing current partner Katie Alexander soon after. Now, despite the “very painful” and “very difficult” divorce, Ruth has confirmed that she does hope to find love again in the future – admitting that she is fine being on her own, but “not for ever”. One person who has been by Ruth’s side during the tough times is her mum, Joan. They share a close bond and Ruth often talks about Joan on social media. But the TV star hasn’t glossed over the difficulties of her mother’s Alzheimer’s. Ruth has previously spoken about the condition, admitting, “You’re grieving for them while they’re still alive. They are physically there but their spirit appears not to be. It’s like you’ve lost them… but there they are.”.
She is now an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society. And losing her dad to the disease has also been something Ruth has talked emotionally about. “With my father’s Alzheimer’s, I was grieving and losing my dad, but you have to remember my mum was losing the love of her life,” she has said. Despite Ruth’s health worries, she has been throwing herself into fitness and wellbeing since becoming single, and is clearly focusing on her physical health. Having lost weight since splitting from Eamonn, Ruth says she’s all about finding a balance between healthy living and enjoying life.
“I want to eat as well as I can, but I don’t want to be a bore,” she admitted. And our source claims Ruth is feeling better than ever for it. “She’s lost weight. There has been divorce stress, but she’s also been watching what she’s eating and taking her dog Maggie for lots of walks,” they said. “She’s upped her fitness and is being more careful with food. She’s weighing food and prepping her own lunches while still enjoying life. She’s really taking care of herself and it shows – inside and out.”.
