We’re very excited to have one of Britain’s best-loved broadcasters on this episode of the Big Travel Podcast. He grew up in what was essentially a war zone in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has travelled extensively with seminal programmes such as the BBC Holiday Programme and also How the Other Half Live, a TV show on which he and his broadcaster wife Ruth Langsford road-test the lifestyles of the ridiculously famous, he’s a huge fan of Manchester United and Hawaii with Elvis Presley would be his dream trip. Notching up an incredible 38 years as a broadcaster, I’m sure he will want me to emphasize that he DID start very young, it is of course Mr Eamonn Holmes.

On this episode we cover: 

His happy childhood in Belfast

Living in a war zone

His rustic neighbours

Mice in wellington boots

Showers in the local launderette

Local kids’ asipirations

Being only one of two catholic families on the council estate

Missing out on teenage kicks

Watching and learning TV

Working in Primark

Knowing he wanted to be a reporter age 11

Journalism college

Starting as a reporter age 19

Farming

Rule 1 of journalism

Being unpopular because of his job

Hosting the main show at 21

Hosting the general election at 23

Interviewing Ian Paisley

Interviewing Gerry Adams

Moving to Manchester at 25

What makes a good TV host

Not getting nervous

His wife Ruth Langsford getting nervous

Family trips to the Northern Irish coastline

Bouncing around in the back of his carpet fitter dad’s van

His first trip abroad to Portugal

His love of Manchester

His love of Manchester United

Being unexpectedly fired

Getting much more work

Regional TV

Working for the BBC ‘Holiday’ programme

Hard work and low pay

Not getting a tan

Being homesick

Travel broadening the mind

How everyone in Northern Ireland should be prescribed two weeks abroad

Monument valley in Utah

His love of Westerns

John Wayne

Not being the best traveller

His love of coming home

His wish for a sea view

Driving in a bin lorry in Brighton

The ridiculously wealthy on TV show How the Other Half Live

Broadcasters salaries

Being sick abroad

Not having been in a plane crash

Storms on cruise ships

Liking comfortable travel

Travelling with Manchester United

The comfort of Old Trafford

Bonding with his kids over football

Voicing the BBC kids TV show Biggleton

Nellie the Elephant

Postman Pat

This Morning

GMTV

His show on talkRADIO

His 28 years of breakfast television

The effects of lack of sleep

Shift work

Rio Carnival

The Mardi Gras

The Northern Lights

Not wanting to go to Machu Picchu

The Calgary Stampede

Not liking airports

What travel is all about

Elvis Presley

Aloha from Hawaii

Quadrophonic sound

Giving us a few bars of his favourite Elvis song