Former GMTV presenter Anthea Turner has made startling claims about her working relationship with Eamonn Holmes, alleging he was jealous of her success and created a 'hostile' environment behind the scenes.
The Roots of the Rivalry
Turner, now 65, joined Holmes on the Good Morning sofa in 1994. She claims tension arose immediately because Holmes, a trained journalist, looked down on her different career path. The situation reportedly worsened when Turner's career soared with her high-profile role hosting the National Lottery Live from 1994 to 1996, a show that attracted a peak of 22 million viewers.
"I didn't have my ass on that sofa for very long before I was asked to present the lottery too, and I think that also annoyed him," Turner told The Times. She alleges Holmes tried to have her sacked by GMTV bosses, branding her as 'too ambitious'—a label she argues was applied unfairly due to her gender.
A 'Hostile' Environment and Public Spat
Turner described feeling physically sick at the thought of going to work during the height of the conflict. She told The Sun that ambition in a woman was portrayed negatively, while in male colleagues like Holmes or Philip Schofield it was seen as professional dedication.
The feud culminated in Holmes reportedly issuing GMTV bosses with an ultimatum. Turner left the show in 1996 after Holmes famously nicknamed her 'Princess Tippy Toes', and was replaced by Fiona Phillips. Reflecting on the media portrayal at the time, Turner said she read stories about herself and "didn't know that person".
Reconciliation and Moving On
Despite the past acrimony, the pair eventually reconciled. They made up in 2005 and by 2018, Turner appeared on This Morning with Holmes and his then-wife Ruth Langsford to publicly bury the hatchet.
Earlier this year, they posted a sweet reunion snap on Instagram, confirming their decade-long feud was truly over. Discussing their current relationship on the Miranda Holder Weekly Fashion Podcast, Turner stated she hasn't "weighed myself down with anything from the past". She noted that with today's social media, she would have had an "immediate chance" to respond to criticism.
During their 2018 This Morning appearance, Holmes addressed their history, saying: "Well you are an ex of mine and we're on good terms, some people think we hate each other." Turner quipped about their on-screen chemistry, suggesting "there is a fine line between hate and love".
