Ruth Langsford has ended months of speculation by confirming she is in a “wonderful new relationship” with Colm O’Driscoll, a 63-year-old property developer and her first love from their teenage years in Belfast. The *Loose Women* star, 65, made the revelation in an emotional Instagram post this morning, sharing a black-and-white photo of the couple holding hands on a windswept Cornish beach. “Sometimes life brings you full circle,” she captioned the image. “Colm was my first kiss at 16. 49 years later, he’s my future. 
”
The announcement comes just 48 hours after *The Sun* published paparazzi shots of Langsford and O’Driscoll, a divorced father-of-two, leaving a quiet dinner at The Ivy Chelsea Garden. Sources say the pair reconnected in June at a charity fundraiser in Surrey, where O’Driscoll – who moved to England in the 1990s – recognised Ruth instantly despite the decades apart.
“Colm walked straight up and said, ‘Ruth McCullough, you haven’t changed a bit,’” a friend of the couple told *MailOnline*. “She laughed so hard she cried. They talked for hours. It was like no time had passed.”
The news has sent shockwaves through the showbiz world – and, reportedly, straight to the doorstep of Ruth’s ex-husband Eamonn Holmes. The GB News presenter, 65, who split from Langsford in May 2024 after 27 years together, has been openly dating 42-year-old relationship counsellor Katie Alexander since July. Sources close to Holmes say he was “blindsided” by Ruth’s confirmation.
“Eamonn thought he was the one moving on,” an insider revealed. “He’s been parading Katie at red carpets, posting loved-up selfies… then Ruth drops this. He’s gone quiet. No tweets, no GB News quips. He’s stunned.”
Holmes was seen leaving his Surrey home this morning in a wheelchair – he has used one since chronic back surgery in 2022 – with a grim expression. Alexander, who has moved into his £3.2 million property, was photographed carrying coffee but declined to comment.
Fans, meanwhile, have flooded Ruth’s post with thousands of congratulatory messages. “YES RUTH! Live your life queen 
,” wrote one. “Eamonn fumbled the bag,” quipped another. A third added: “Colm looks like he worships her. This is the glow-up we needed.”
O’Driscoll, a low-key millionaire who made his fortune in London buy-to-lets, has never been married to a celebrity. He split from his ex-wife of 28 years, Siobhan, in 2022. Friends describe him as “quietly charming, devastatingly funny, and utterly smitten with Ruth.” The couple have already introduced their children – Ruth’s son Jack, 23, with Holmes, and O’Driscoll’s daughters, Aoife, 26, and Niamh, 24 – who reportedly “adore” their new step-parent.
“Jack calls Colm ‘the chill dad I never had,’” Ruth’s *Loose Women* co-star Coleen Nolan revealed on today’s show. “Ruth’s beaming. I’ve never seen her this relaxed.”
The romance marks a dramatic turnaround for Langsford, who spent much of 2024 in the shadows of her marriage breakdown. Holmes’ affair rumours – which he denied – and his rapid move-in with Alexander dominated headlines, while Ruth retreated from public life, focusing on her QVC fashion line and dog Maggie.
But behind the scenes, she and O’Driscoll were quietly rebuilding a connection rooted in shared history. “They used to sneak into the Belfast Odeon to watch *Grease*,” a school friend told *The Mirror*. “Colm kept Ruth’s cinema ticket stub in his wallet for 40 years. He showed it to her in June. She sobbed.”
The couple have already taken several low-key trips – including a week in Donegal, where O’Driscoll proposed a “slow and steady” future together. “No rush to marry,” Ruth told *Hello!* in a follow-up exclusive. “We’ve both done the big white wedding. This is about companionship, laughter, and waking up without dread.”
Holmes, who has not spoken publicly about the split beyond a brief statement last year, is said to be “struggling” with the optics. “Eamonn always saw himself as the charismatic one,” a TV source said. “Ruth proving she’s thriving – and with someone from *before* him – has hit hard.”
Bookmakers have slashed odds on a *This Morning* reunion special, with Paddy Power offering 3/1 on Ruth and Colm appearing together on the sofa by Christmas. Meanwhile, Ruth’s Instagram following has surged by 40,000 in 24 hours.
As she signed off her post: “To everyone who sent love when I was broken – thank you. I’m not fixed, I’m *free*.”
*Eamonn Holmes declined to comment. A spokesperson for Ruth Langsford said: “Ruth is focusing on her happiness and asks for privacy for all involved.”*
