It’s been claimed Eamonn Holmes and his new girlfriend Katie Alexander began sending flirty messages to each other 12 years ago.
The GB News presenter, 64, revealed his new relationship with the counsellor, 42, just months after announcing his split from Ruth Langsford.
The couple have since been pictured together and embarked on a luxury Mediterranean cruise, with previous reports claiming that they first met on social media in 2015.
It has now however been alleged that they began to send flirty online messages more than a decade ago, and that Katie’s then-husband George was involved.
According to The Sun, one message saw the businessman joke to Eamonn: ‘Think she’s flirting with you.’
It’s claimed Eamonn replied to the Manchester United fan on X: ‘Good job we’re both red.’
A source told the publication: ‘We knew Eamonn and Katie got together via social media, but no one knew how far back they went.
‘Ruth will be shocked they were in contact 12 years ago. I don’t think she would have known.’
They added: ‘Eamonn gets a buzz out of replying to messages from fans. He and Katie had a real connection, and it blossomed into something more.
‘But at the outset George joined in with the online banter. He would never have guessed Katie was going to get together with Eamonn years down the line.’
Ruth and Eamonn split earlier this year after 14 years of marriage, with reports stating work commitments had resulted in them drifting in ‘different directions’.
It’s since been claimed that Ruth, who was reportedly shocked over Eamonn going on a romantic holiday with a new partner, has hired a ‘fierce’ divorce lawyer.
Meanwhile, sources said Katie and Eamonn have been growing closer in recent weeks, and they’re even looking at homes together.
One source previously claimed: ‘Katie is telling everyone she is totally smitten and in love.
‘They’ve known each other for nine years, so this isn’t a fly-by-night relationship – she’s in it for the long haul.’
Ruth and Eamonn married in 2010, 13 years after they first started dating, and share a son called Jack, who was born in 2002.