The GB News Presenter Blames HMRC for “Wrecking” Him Financially at His Most Vulnerable – Insiders Say the Stress Is Taking a Toll on His Health

Eamonn Holmes, the 65-year-old GB News presenter and former This Morning host, has revealed he’s “exhausted” and contemplating leaving the UK after a brutal tax battle with HMRC that has cost him over £1 million and forced the sale of two homes – and he still owes £250,000. In a raw interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Holmes accused the tax authority of “thievery” and “wrecking” him during his most vulnerable period, amid chronic health struggles and a high-profile divorce. “They came after me at the worst time,” he said. “I’ve sold my house in Belfast, my place in Portugal, and they still want more. I’m done – I can’t take it anymore.”

The ordeal stems from a long-running IR35 dispute over Holmes’ freelance status with ITV from 2011 to 2015. In 2020, the First Tier Tribunal ruled his engagements were “employment,” triggering back taxes and national insurance on £1.2 million in earnings. Holmes appealed twice, losing both times, including a 2023 Upper Tribunal decision that upheld the findings on mutuality of obligation and control. “I was always self-employed – 28 years freelance,” he fumed. “But they said, ‘We’ve changed our mind – pay ten years back.’ Lawyers’ fees alone were horrendous.” Despite paying over £1 million, HMRC demands another £250,000, leaving Holmes “financially ruined.”

The stress has compounded his physical battles. Since 2021 spinal surgery for three slipped discs, Holmes has endured blood clots, hip replacements, and chronic pain requiring a wheelchair and carers. “The tax row hit when I was at my lowest,” he said. “They wrecked me financially at my most vulnerable.” Insiders say the toll is evident: “Eamonn’s in a foul mood constantly, clashing with colleagues,” a GB News source told the Daily Mail. “He’s exhausted – friends are urging him to quit Britain and return to Northern Ireland.”

Holmes, who moved to GB News in 2021 after 15 years at ITV, has been open about his woes. His divorce from Ruth Langsland in May 2024 – after 27 years – added emotional strain, with joint assets like Holmes & Away Ltd still entangled. “Life’s messy,” he admitted. “But this tax hell? It’s thievery.” Lorraine Kelly escaped a similar £1.2 million bill in 2021 by arguing she “played a character,” a point Holmes raised bitterly: “I’m the same off-screen as on—why me?”

Fans have rallied. #StandWithEamonn trended with 800k posts, supporters decrying HMRC as “bullying.” A petition for “fair treatment for freelancers” hit 50k signatures. Holmes, ever resilient, eyes a return to Belfast: “Ireland’s calling – maybe it’s time.” As he battles health and finances, one thing’s clear: Eamonn Holmes won’t go quietly. From morning TV king to tax war survivor, his story endures – a cautionary tale of vulnerability in the spotlight.