After months of whispers, Loose Women star Ruth Langsford has finally confirmed what fans have long suspected — she’s in love again. And in a twist straight out of a romantic film, the man who’s stolen her heart is none other than her first love, Colm O’Driscoll, from her teenage years in Belfast.
The 65-year-old presenter melted hearts on Instagram when she posted a black-and-white photo of her and Colm holding hands on a windswept Cornish beach, captioned with a line that sent social media into a frenzy:
“Sometimes life brings you full circle. Colm was my first kiss at 16. Forty-nine years later, he’s my future. ”
Within minutes, thousands flooded her comments with messages of joy, calling it “the love story we all needed.” But behind the scenes, the post reportedly left her ex-husband Eamonn Holmes “stunned and full of regret.”
A Love Story Rewritten
Just days before the announcement, Ruth and Colm were spotted enjoying a quiet dinner at The Ivy Chelsea Garden, laughing and holding hands. Insiders reveal the couple reconnected by chance at a charity fundraiser in Surrey earlier this year — and that moment changed everything.
“He walked straight up to her and said, ‘Ruth McCullough, you haven’t changed a bit,’” a source told MailOnline. “She laughed until she cried. It was like time never passed.”
Colm, now 63, is a Belfast-born property developer and father of two, known for being “grounded, loyal, and quietly charming.” Friends say he’s “the kind of man who makes Ruth feel safe and cherished again.”
Eamonn Holmes “Reeling With Regret”
Meanwhile, sources close to Eamonn — who split from Ruth in May 2024 after 27 years together — say the GB News host is struggling to come to terms with her new romance.
“Eamonn thought he’d moved on,” one insider confessed. “But Ruth’s post hit differently. It was so pure, so final. It shook him.”
Eamonn, who’s been publicly dating 42-year-old relationship counsellor Katie Alexander, was photographed looking subdued outside his Surrey home shortly after Ruth’s post went live.
Fans Celebrate Ruth’s “Full-Circle Fairytale”
Ruth’s revelation sent social media into meltdown — with fans and celebrities alike cheering her happiness.
“YES RUTH! Live your best life, queen ,” one fan wrote.
“Eamonn fumbled the bag,” another joked.
“Colm looks at her like she hung the moon,” added a third.
Even co-star Coleen Nolan chimed in with a touching detail:
“Ruth’s son Jack calls Colm ‘the chill dad I never had.’ She’s glowing — I’ve never seen her this happy.”
The couple have since introduced their children — Ruth’s son Jack (23) and Colm’s daughters Aoife (26) and Niamh (24) — who reportedly “get along beautifully.”
From Heartbreak to Healing
Following her painful split from Eamonn, Ruth quietly focused on herself — building her QVC fashion line, walking her beloved dog Maggie, and rediscovering joy in small things.
But fate had other plans.
A school friend revealed that Ruth and Colm once sneaked into the Belfast Odeon to watch Grease as teenagers. “He kept her old cinema ticket for forty years,” the friend said. “When he showed it to her again this summer, she burst into tears.”
Since rekindling their romance, the pair have enjoyed low-key getaways — including a serene trip to Donegal — vowing to take things “slow and steady.”
“We’ve both done the big white wedding,” Ruth told Hello! magazine. “This time, it’s about laughter, companionship, and waking up without dread.”
“I’m Not Fixed — I’m Free.”
Ruth ended her emotional post with a message that resonated deeply across the internet:
“To everyone who sent love when I was broken — thank you. I’m not fixed… I’m free.”
Her follower count skyrocketed by 40,000 overnight, as fans rallied behind her story of rediscovery and strength.
And while Eamonn remains quiet, reportedly “processing the shock,” Ruth Langsford is walking into a new chapter — one that began nearly half a century ago, with a shy teenage kiss that never truly ended.
