Eamonn Holmes fought back tears as he spoke about the death of his sister-in-law on This Morning.
Rylan Clark-Neal stood in for bereaved Ruth Langsford on Friday’s show, hours after she announced the sad death of her sister Julia.
“You may already be aware of the terrible bereavement Ruth has had,” Holmes began. “She made this post to inform everyone.”
He then began to read out Langsford's social media tribute, but was unable to make it through the post, leaving Clark-Neal to take over.
Holmes continued: “Nobody understands more than our friend and colleague Rylan who has been a great comfort to Ruth and a great help by stepping in today.”
Clark-Neal added: “We know Ruth’s watching and we’re sending you all our love. We love you dearly and Ruth is going to need time to deal with this, and so are you [Eamonn] but I couldn’t not be here today.”
Holmes explained that Clark-Neal had been the “first person he phoned” when the news broke, and branded him a “great support” for Langsford. He then told viewers that they "have each other" before getting on with the show.
On Thursday, Langsford announced the passing of her older sister with an emotional statement alongside a picture of the siblings.
She wrote: “My lovely Sis Julia has sadly died after a very long illness. My heart is completely broken.
"She was the kindest and most gentle soul and I will miss her forever. As I am sure you will appreciate I need to take time to grieve with my family. Thank you for your understanding.”
Friends and fans, including Langsford’s former Strictly co-stars, rushed to send their love and support to Langsford.
This Morning airs weekdays at 10.30am on ITV.
