Eamonn Holmes has said he is "suspicious of everyone" after being swindled out of £60,000 by a con artist in Belfast. The This Morning presenter was the victim of fraudster Jay Cartmill in 2014, but only realised when he received a call from the bank about suspicious activity on his account.
The 59-year-old told The Sun he felt "very, very vulnerable" following the crime, which was only revealed when he received a call from the bank to ask if he had "bought £25,000 of paving stones and 400 metres of wood panelling?"
© Photo: RexEamonn Holmes was the victim of fraud in 2014
Eamonn first thought his card had been cloned during a holiday in Dubai with wife Ruth Langsford, but it was actually back home in Northern Ireland that the problems had begun. While Eamonn and Ruth were on holiday, the con artist was spending thousands living in a Belfast hotel, and also spent over £25,000 on a marble fireplace.
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Jay Cartmill only received a two-year suspended sentence following the incident, which the judge branded as a "victimless crime" because the bank "will reimburse me and I could afford it". Now, Ruth and Eamonn are working together on Channel 5 show Do the Right Thing to highlight similar consumer issues.
© Photo: RexEamonn was on holiday with Ruth at the time
It was announced earlier this month that the couple will also be hosting another exciting new show together – This Morning on Sunday – from 20 January at 10:30am. The programme will show a selection of the funniest, most moving and entertaining moments from the week. Eamonn and Ruth - who usually only host on Fridays - will present the hour-long show each week, offering viewers a chance to see all of the best content with handpicked moments for the This Morning on Sunday editions, as well as some new and exclusive content.
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