Outspoken presenter Eamonn Holmes is in one of his playful moods when HELLO! catches up with him and his 'work wife', his TV co-host Isabel Webster, for our exclusive interview and photoshoot.
"While I'm trying to read the newspapers before we go on air, she never shuts up," he teases as unruffled Isabel smiles wryly and rolls her eyes.
"She and my wife are incredibly alike," he continues, referring to his former This Morning co-star, Ruth Langsford. "They're both creatures of habit, like routine and do things the same way every day - and they both get on my nerves!
"Isabel's the most intelligent person I know, especially about politics, but she knows eff-all about anything else. And she's developed this habit of kicking me on the shins," he complains in mock indignation.
"I do that at least once in every show," Isabel confirms. "I try to rein him in when he goes rogue."
What Eamonn's wife Ruth Langsford thinks of their friendship
The entertaining double act, who are now hurtling towards their two-year anniversary as hosts of GB News' Breakfast with Eamonn and Isabel, are famous for their on-screen banter, which spills over into real life once the cameras have stopped rolling.
So it comes as no surprise that Isabel and Eamonn's wife Ruth have created an alliance and formed a WhatsApp group to discuss Eamonn when he's live on air.
"Ruth and I have similar personalities and we gang up on him - for his own good," admits Isabel. "She sends me messages while we're on air, saying things like, 'Tell him his tie's not straight.' And when he revealed how Ruth snores, she shot back, 'Don't get me started on his faults!'"
Isabel's influence on Eamonn
But the duo, who first worked together on Sky News 12 years ago before fronting Sky's early morning show Sunrise in 2014, are really the best of friends.
After Eamonn was unceremoniously dropped by ITV, having been a key part of the presenting team on This Morning, it was Isabel who instigated their co-hosting comeback.
"I didn't know what to do or where to go," recalls Eamonn, 63. "Then Isabel called me and said, 'Why don't you come to GB News?'"
Though wary of working on another morning show after his experience with ITV, it was their friendship that convinced him to accept. "We're like family," says Eamonn. "I can't ever imagine us arguing or not having her in my life. In this business, no one else will fight your corner. But if anyone had a go at Isabel, I might punch them."
That fierce loyalty is mutual. "I'm allowed to be rude about Eamonn but no one else is," says 40-year-old mum of two Isabel, who has supported him through months of debilitating health problems.
Eamonn's health struggles
In September 2022 the TV host underwent surgery, before suffering terrible injuries when he fell downstairs at his Surrey home, and his movements remain restricted. He recalls how his caring co-host helped him through a physically challenging four days while reporting from outside Buckingham Palace after Queen Elizabeth died.
"There was scaffolding everywhere. On the long route back to the car, Isabel took my weight and steered me."
"I went into nurse mode," remembers Isabel. With a smile, Eamonn adds: "After everything we've been through together, it feels like we've been through a war."
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