What’s on my plate…

Broadcaster and journalist Eamonn Holmes on life after a fall, his dog Maggie and the perfect apple crumble

How’s 2023 been so far ?

To be honest, 2023 has been much more difficult than I ever thought it would be. [Following back surgery in 2022, Eamonn lost feeling in his leg and fell down some stairs, resulting in a broken shoulder.] But I do remain positive. I’m back to work now, which is great. It’s still difficult to move around but my brain seems to work okay and it’s nice to be involved in the cut and thrust of the news cycle again.

What does your morning routine look like?

It’s not so much a morning routine as a nighttime routine. My alarm goes off at 3am and Ruth [Langsford, Eamonn’s wife and fellow presenter] helps to get me in and out of the shower, gets me dressed and so on. Then I’m off to the studio.

That’s a very early start. Any tips for mornings?

Despite nearly 40 years of presenting breakfast and daytime TV, I’m still a bit of a night owl. I don’t smoke or drink much alcohol but I think it must help tremendously to avoid those things. And I’ve learned through experience not to eat after 7pm, particularly anything heavy or spicy.

You must be eating breakfast in the middle of the night…

Well, I lost a lot of weight when I was recuperating and now my body seems to want me to eat all the wrong things. I might have something to eat before or during the programme, then brunch after the show, on to lunch, mid-afternoon snack… the thing is, getting up that early just gives you longer during the day to eat.

What do you do to look after your own wellbeing? My life changed when we adopted our dog Maggie from the Dogs Trust [Eamonn is a patron for the charity]. She follows me everywhere and seems to know if something is wrong. Sadly, I’m not able to walk her at the moment, but it will be a joy and a privilege when I’m able to do it again. I also like to feel the sunshine on my face. It really changes my mood. I don’t care whether it’s hot or cold outside as long as I see a blue sky.

What’s coming up?

A second series of Farm to Feast will be aired soon on BBC One and in Northern Ireland. The show celebrates award-winning produce from farms and fisheries across Northern Ireland. My first job in journalism was as a farming reporter and I’ve always felt a great connection to farms and agriculture. I think it’s important to support farmers.

Who do you most admire?

Des Lynam [broadcaster] is an absolute god. There really is no better person or inspiration. I remember the time I won a TRIC [The Television and Radio Industries Club] Award and saw Des backstage. He congratulated me and asked how many awards I’d won. I told him three and he looked at me and replied: ‘14’.

Tell us something surprising about you I never learned a foreign language but I do have an O level in Ancient Greek.

5 questions for a foodie

Every issue we ask…

If you were a pudding…

I’d be apple crumble – no cinnamon – served with vanilla ice cream and custard

Scrambled, fried or poached? Soft poached.

What’s always in your basket? Tomatoes, the bigger the better

Favourite cooking hack?

Bacon in the air fryer. It goes a long day, I fancy… bowl of vanilla ice cream in front of the telly.