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RUTH Langsford had no idea that she and her husband Eamonn Holmes were going to be kicked out of This Morning, ignoring the ITV shakeup last week.
It was revealed earlier today that the longtime television couple were being replaced by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary on the daytime show after 14 years.
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The pair are “furious and disgusted” by the decision, and it seems they may have been completely surprised by it.
In an interview with new! Last week, Ruth, 60, insisted she knew nothing about a line-up change on This Morning, and she wasn’t worried about losing her job.
When asked if the show was heading for a reorganization, Ruth told the publication: “There’s always talk, I don’t know. Not that anyone has told me.”
Insisting that she wasn’t worried about getting kicked, Ruth later added: “I think I’m very good at what I do, and as long as they love me I’ll be there.
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“I’ve been doing it for a long time and it seems like we’ve been very popular so I guess all of those things will count.
Eamonn and Ruth have hosted the Friday episode of This Morning since 2006, but now they will only be called up for the summer break when main hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield take their six-week hiatus.
They will then take over the introductory functions Monday through Thursday, but Alison and Dermot will be the new weekly faces for Friday’s shows.
The new hosts previously impressed the bosses when they hosted the show together over the summer, with producers eager to add more diversity to their lineup.
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But his predecessors, understandably, were hurt by the decision.
A source shared: “Eamonn is quite furious and everyone is sorry for him and Ruth, they are very loved in the team, but sometimes you have to make difficult decisions.”
Speaking of Alison and Dermot, the source added to The Mirror: “They have a real warmth. Time for a change and they are perfect.”
A television insider previously told The Sun that Eamonn feared he was “too pale, stale and masculine” to remain a regular face on This Morning for much longer.
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They explained: “Eamonn and Ruth are incredibly popular with viewers and loved across the board.
“Nobody wants to see them go. The show executives have some very tough decisions. Eamonn fears he’s basically too ‘pale, stale and masculine,’ and, at 60, maybe not in line with the youthful drive that the announcers.
“One possibility is to keep the couple as regular vacation coverage but lose their regular Friday hours.”
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The news of the shakeup comes after ITV Director Carolyn McCall sent an email outlining her fast-track diversity and inclusion plan.
Network insiders were concerned about a rerun of “Sue Barker-gate” after the 64-year-old former tennis champion lost her job heading Question Of Sport for the BBC.
One said, “It will look terrible if Ruth and Eamonn get kicked.
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“Many of our viewers are elderly or retired, and they trust them to cheer us up one morning.”
But This Morning bosses are determined to go ahead with the trade after launching an internal investigation into the show’s diversity.
And with Holly and Phil considered “untouchables”, it is Eamonn and Ruth who have been affected by the shakeup.
Angry fans have since vowed to boycott the show in solidarity with the couple, with many claiming the decision was unfair.
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