Eamonn Holmes recovering after stroke, son says family taking it step by step

Eamonn Holmes, 66, was recovering in hospital after GB News said he had been taken ill last week and later confirmed he had suffered a stroke. The broadcaster said he was responding well to treatment and had asked for privacy as he focused on getting better. GB News also said Alex Armstrong would present in Holmes’s absence this week, with Holmes normally fronting GB News Breakfast alongside Ellie Costello. ([yahoo.com](yahoo.com/news/articles/eamonn-holmes-admitted-hospital-stroke-113605900.html))

Declan Holmes said his father was "doing okay given the circumstances" and that the family was taking it "one step at a time." He said the stroke had come as a shock and that the family was keeping things steady around the presenter while thanking people for their messages of support. ([yahoo.com](yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/eamonn-holmes-doing-ok-stroke-110157973.html))

For many stroke patients, the first days are spent in hospital, where treatment and rehabilitation begin as soon as possible. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says recovery depends on how much of the brain was affected and which circuits were damaged, while rehabilitation is meant to help survivors relearn skills that can be lost suddenly, including walking, language processing and clear thinking. The NHS says recovery depends on the physical and mental impact of the stroke, and that rehabilitation can be difficult even when it is moving a patient forward. ([nhs.uk](nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/recovery/))

Holmes’s latest setback comes after years of serious health problems. In 2021, he began battling chronic back pain linked to slipped discs and a dislocated pelvis, then underwent spinal surgery, had surgery for a broken shoulder in 2022 and a third operation in 2023. He has said he largely uses a wheelchair and has carers throughout the day, and the strain has played out alongside his separation from Ruth Langsford, with the pair announcing plans to divorce in May 2024. Holmes has spent more than 40 years in broadcasting, making the recovery period not just a medical story but the next chapter in a long and very public health battle. ([independent.co.uk](independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/eamonn-holmes-health-wheelchair-b2932746.html))