Eamonn Holmes has spoken candidly about his evolving relationship with his beloved rescue dog, Maggie, following his separation from Ruth Langsford.
The GB News presenter, 65, and Langsford adopted Maggie, now 17, from Dogs Trust in 2011.
Since their split last year, the Loose Women star has taken on most of the day-to-day care due to Holmes’ wheelchair use, though the pair continue to share custody.
In a recent Instagram post, Holmes praised his ex-wife for “doing all the hard stuff” with Maggie, sharing photos from a sunny reunion.
“In many ways she reminds me of my dearly departed mum – a bad knee, hardly any teeth left, but not bad for a 17-year-old,” the Northern Ireland-born Holmes wrote.
The presenter, who is a patron of animal charity K-9 Angels, credits the part border collie with transforming his life. “There’s only one word I’d use to describe our relationship — love,” he told The Sunday Times. “She changed me, changed my perception towards people.”
The broadcaster admitted his reduced mobility has affected their bond. “Obviously, she’s low down on the ground, so I can’t bend down or take her for walks,” he explained, adding that he relies on Langsford for the physical care Maggie needs.
Holmes has also reflected on Maggie’s gratitude, believing it stems from her difficult start in life.
“Because she’s an adopted dog, I think she appreciates the new home she’s got and the life she was taken away from,” he said.
He further revealed to the publication that he has already thought about how to remember her when the time comes, including his long-held wish to have her preserved through taxidermy.
“It’s a wish of mine, but not of Ruth’s,” the dad-of-four said. “I’d like to keep that connection with her — albeit in a glass case — because she’s the most special creature outside of my children that has come into my life.”
He has even joked on GB News that, because of her small size, Maggie is “taxidermy material” and could “sit very nicely on the mantel” as a lasting tribute.
Such is his devotion to the pooch that he once commissioned a bronze statue of her so lifel-ike “you couldn’t tell which was which.”
