For the past eight years TV presenter Eamonn Holmes has become renowned as the cool, calm and collected presence on GMTV’s famous orange and yellow sofa.

So it comes as quite a surprise to discover that that reassuring smile of Eamonn’s served at one time to mask months of misery and loneliness which, though firmly in the past, still scar him.

As one of the highest paid and most popular presenters around, Eamonn, 41, should have been having the happiest time of his life. But his marriage to his childhood sweetheart Gabrielle was falling apart and he was desperately missing his three children – Declan, now 12, Rebecca, ten, and eight-year-old Niall.

“There were times,” he admits now, “that I was really tempted to put out an appeal for help on live TV. I was so sad and lonely. Truly, horribly lonely.”

Although the memory of that time of his life will undoubtedly haunt him forever, Eamonn is fortunately no longer in that black hole of depression. The reason for his newfound happiness is right by his side as he jokes and chats. Tall, blonde and elegantly attractive, fellow television presenter Ruth Langsford, 40, was Eamonn’s rock when everything in his life seemed to be falling apart. You can see immediately that few things could faze this delightful woman who is now five months’ pregnant with their child.

For the full exclusive interview with Eamonnn Holmes and girlfriend Ruth Langsford as they talk about Eamonn’s difficult marriage break-up and their baby joy, see this week’s HELLO! magazine, on sale now.