Eamonn Holmes admits 'shame' over not seeing a politician in Esther McVey
Eamonn Holmes and Esther McVey fronted GMTV and How Do They Do That? together before she was elected a Conservative MP.
Eamonn Holmes feels "shame" for never thinking Esther McVey would be a cabinet minister.
The duo fronted the breakfast news programme GMTV as well as the BBC science show, How Do They Do That? before she was elected Conservative MP for Wirral West (2010-2015) and Tatton in June 2017, and then made Minister of State without Portfolio in the Cabinet Office (2023-2024).
During TV presenter Hayley Palmer's An Audience With... Eamonn Holmes at London's The Hippodrome Casino on Tuesday night (24.03.26), he said: "My friend and colleague, Esther McVey, I worked with her for years on How Did They Do That? A programme on BBC One, and on GMTV.
"And I tell her this all the time - to my shame, I didn’t look upon her and see a cabinet minister."
Esther's political career has also seen her be appointed Minister of State for Employment (2013-2015), Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip) (2017-2018), Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (2018), and Minister of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (2019-2020).
She was also the first MP to employ an apprentice, and Esther, 58, got the House of Commons authorities to introduce the apprenticeship scheme following a successful campaign.
And Eamonn, 66, is proud of Esther's achievements.
The broadcaster - who works with Esther at GB News - said: "I think it’s amazing, and I think she’s a very smart individual."
Eamonn was then asked if he would enter politics, to which he replied: "I wouldn’t have the brains - you can have opinions - to be involved in anything like that."
Elsewhere during his An Audience With... show, Eamonn revealed how he healed a hate-filled rift with Anthea Turner, 65, with whom he co-presented GMTV.
He explained: "I am best friends with Anthea Turner now. Anthea Turner and I had real hatred between us, and then I realised that Anthea was playing a part that she's been told to do. She has been very successful at it.
"I spoke to her on the way in here tonight."
