EXCLUSIVE Eamonn Holmes SENDS MESSAGE to estranged ex-wife Ruth Langsford amid ENGAGEMENT to girlfriend 23 years his junior Katie Alexander

Eamonn Holmes is said to have sent his estranged wife a reassuring message that he wasn’t engaged – after it was reported he was set to wed Katie Alexander.

The GB News presenter, 64, was at the centre of rumours he had popped the question to Katie, 42, after she was spotted wearing a sparkling diamond ring.

However, friends close to them have denied they are engaged after reports emerged over the weekend – but insisted they are ‘in it for the long haul’.

In a bid to protect Ruth Langsford’s feelings, Eamonn is believed to have contacted her to pour cold water over the engagement speculation.

A source told MailOnline: ‘There are other people in this and I know Eamonn had to message Ruth to say there was nothing in the engagement speculation.’

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Eamonn Holmes is said to have sent his estranged wife a reassuring message that he wasn’t engaged after it was reported he was set to wed Katie Alexander

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The GB News presenter, 64, was at the centre of rumours he had popped the question to Katie, 42, after she was spotted wearing a sparkling diamond ring

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In a bid to protect Ruth Langsford’s feelings, Eamonn is believed to have contacted her to pour cold water over the engagement speculation

The insider revealed that while Katie is keen to take their relationship public, after it blossomed from a close friendship, Eamonn is reluctant.

They said: ‘Katie just wants to get it over and done with but Eamonn is less keen because he doesn’t want to hurt Ruth’s feelings.’

Eamonn previously shared his hopes of maintaining a friendship with Ruth, after they announced their split after 14 years of marriage 27 years together.

Opening up to the Mirror about his personal life he explained: ‘It’s too early to say but I hope we can still be friends.’

Eamonn is said to be smitten with Katie and their relationship has been ‘taken to the next level’, MailOnline previously revealed.

Friends claimed the yare now spending most weekends together at his Richmond flat after his marriage to Ruth ended.

Eamonn and Katie are mulling over when to take their relationship public and are said to have been offered ‘big money’ for the official first pictures of them together.

The source told us: ‘They’ve been offered some decent money for the first pictures of them together.’

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Eamonn is said to be smitten with Katie and their blossoming friendship has been ‘taken to the next level’

Despite his blossoming relationship going from strength to strength, Eamonn and Ruth have both been seen still wearing their wedding rings recently.

Eamonn and Katie’s friendship advanced when he moved out of the marital home he shared with Ruth after his devastated wife discovered messages between him and another mystery woman.

Katie has disclosed to pals that their previous ‘close friendship ‘ has ‘gone up several notches’.

And our source added: ‘Katie and Eamonn are definitely in it for the long haul. She says she loves him and he loves her.’

Katie sparked engagement speculation after being snapped with a diamond ring on her wedding finger over the weekend.

But we can also reveal the sparkler is a ‘years old’ piece of jewellery and Eamonn hasn’t gone down on one knee to pop the question to the counsellor – who specialises in helping people recover from the trauma of marriage break-ups.

A source told us: ‘Katie’s had that ring forever – it’s years old. The picture has caused some real hilarity amongst her family and friends and also quite a bit of bewilderment. It seems like she’s playing games to create headlines and speculation.

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Eamonn and Ruth announced they were going their separate ways in May following a 27 year relationship and 14 years of marriage

Eamonn had become intimate with the counsellor specialising in ‘affair and betrayals’ months before his marriage split.

In the last year, he grew close to Katie behind the back of his devastated wife and co-presenter legend Ruth.

The star showered Katie with gifts and trips and befriended her kids as their close relationship developed further.

The breakfast host treated Katie and her family to a Woburn Safari Park trip in Bedford in February – even sharing snaps on social media of their outing.

Eamonn did not publicly reveal that he was on a day trip with his new companion.

Katie’s head was just visible in the back of a jeep which he posed in front of – with unsuspecting fans having no idea of the blossoming romance behind Ruth’s back.

He treated her and her two youngest kids to a stay at Center Parcs last year as well as a trip to a Beyonce gig last.

Die-hard Manchester United fan Eamonn gave Katie and her kids his tickets to a Premier League game at Old Trafford last season.

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Ruth Langsford was still wearing her wedding ring in a new snap three months after splitting from her estranged husband Eamonn

And in a further hammer blow to his now estranged wife Ruth, on multiple occasions, Katie left her northern home to stay at the four-star Brooklands Hotel in Weybridge, Surrey – just a 10 minutes’ drive from Eamonn’s marital home.

Katie was spotted at the sprawling spa destination – next to Mercedes Benz World and a motor racing track – in March and was described as a ‘frequent visitor’.

The counsellor told her pals she had enjoyed a ‘wonderful weekend’ and she also visited Northern Ireland with Eamonn.

Also last October, the TV star attended a small fundraising event in Yorkshire mental health counselling charity Platform 1 – agreeing to become a patron. It was just minutes from Katie’s home.

The charity – a nine-hour round trip from Eamonn’s home – is where Katie worked for two years.

Divorcee Katie met Eamonn via Twitter after she commented on a post and it sparked a conversation in 2015.