Broadcaster Eamonn Holmes was reportedly left speechless after he was called out by an Olympic boxer for a remark he made about the sport during an awards show.
The GB News presenter, 64, was presenting double Olympic medallist Kellie Harrington with a prize at the Irish Post Awards which were held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on Thursday evening when he referred to “women’s boxing”.
“You better believe it’s history, isn’t it?” the Belfast-born presenter said. “And you know, women’s boxing has really come on, hasn’t it? I mean, it’s much more, it’s acceptable.”
The boxing star then bluntly replied: “It’s not women’s boxing. It’s boxing,” according to the Mirror when she was presented with the Irish Post Award for Outstanding Contribution, which left the presenter “speechless and red faced” for a few moments.
Holmes attended the awards, which he co-hosted with his reported new girlfriend Katie Alexander, whom the presenter has been spotted with frequently since his split from Loose Women star Ruth Langsford.
The pair, who previously presented This Morning, were together for more than a decade before they confirmed the news of the split through a representative in May.
They pair have one son, Jack, who was born in 2002.
Holmes was recently spotted back in Northern Ireland after restaurant Stix and Stones shared photographs of the presenter visiting their Wellington Place spot last week.
Sharing photos of Holmes on social media, the team at Stix & Stones Meat Wagon said: “We had the pleasure of having Eamonn Holmes visit us this week.
“Thanks for stopping by!”
It comes as his estranged wife is reportedly “dreading” the upcoming festive season, which will be the first since their separation according to sources close to the star.
“Ruth is dreading Christmas coming up, because it will be her first one apart from Eamonn – who could be spending it with his new partner,” a source told OK! Magazine.
“This Christmas means creating different memories,” they added. “Ruth and Eammon are positively co-parenting Jack, but he’s at the age where he might want to do something different at Christmas, and that’s worrying Ruth.”