Eamonn Holmes has reportedly turned down a huge offer from Celebrity Big Brother bosses to star on the ITV programme.
The iconic house became home to the likes of Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne last year, as well as former This Morning presenter Fern Britton and Strictly Come Dancing’s Nikita Kuzmin.
And it’s now been claimed Eamonn had been at the top of the list for the next season, following his split from Loose Women star Ruth Langsford after 14 years of marriage.
It’s been a difficult year for Eamonn, who has also faced various health struggles and mobility issues, and recently claimed he was on ‘borrowed time’ and ‘not OK’, and shared that he is unable to look after himself anymore.
He has however found himself in a new relationship with Katie Alexander, 42, who reportedly ‘wants to love and care for him’ through his health battles, with the couple having been pictured together in public several times together after embarking on a luxury cruise around the Mediterranean earlier this year.
It’s now been claimed time away from relationship counsellor Katie is the reason Eamonn rejected the Celebrity Big Brother offer.
A source said: ‘Eamonn was approached to do Celebrity Big Brother. He was flattered by the offer and it was a huge six-figure sum.
‘After giving it some serious thought, he ultimately turned it down.
‘The logistics of navigating the house and needing a wheelchair really concerned him and he didn’t feel confident that the support he’d need would be there.’
The insider continued to The Mirror: ‘Eamonn also values his time at home with his partner Katie, and being locked away from her for such a long period wasn’t something he could come to terms with.
‘The producers were really keen to have Eamonn on the show, they saw him as a huge draw for viewers and were willing to pull out all the stops. With his controversial opinions he would made the perfect housemate.
‘But Eamonn knows his limits, and the idea of being in such an unpredictable environment, without Katie and the support he relies on, made it a no-go.’
‘The thought of being away from his partner and his home comforts didn’t feel worth the stress,’ they added.
This comes after Eamonn revealed he is ‘wheelchair laden’ and having to ‘rely’ on other people.
He said on GB News last week, while addressing travel issues across the country over the festive period: ‘The train definitely could be a dream, but I’m now sort of wheelchair laden, and you rely on a lot of people to get you on and off.
‘It’s very, very difficult doing that, I just threw that in, it’s not a concern to anybody, but there we go.’
Eamonn slipped three discs in his back in 2021, losing ‘full mobility’, and has spoken about his chronic pain and difficulty walking.
He then underwent spinal surgery the following year, which left him off air for almost four months as he recovered, however, he suffered a major setback when he fell down the stairs, later saying he ‘smashed’ his shoulder.
Speaking on GB News earlier this year, Eamonn said: ‘I have been basically disabled for a year and a half or so, and it’s horrendous.
‘I have to have carers to do the smallest, simplest thing.
‘It’s humiliating, it’s humbling, and thank goodness that the carers are available.’
Metro has approached ITV and reps for Eamonn for comment.
Celebrity Big Brother is available to watch on ITVX.
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