Eamonn Holmes slams 'ridiculous world' as he's forced to apologise for on-air 'Oriental' slur during GB News Kerry Katona interview
Eamonn Holmes has blasted a “ridiculous world” after he was forced to issue an apology for using an racially offensive term on air.
Interviewing former Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona on GB News, he asked her if a recent plastic surgery procedure on her eyes left her looking “Oriental”.
Though once commonly used in the West to describe people from east Asia, the term has been regarded as offensive for many years.
Later in the broadcast Eamonn made an apology, though bitterly complained “the world is ridiculous” as he did so.
He was defended by Katona, who published a video on social media stating Holmes “said absolutely nothing untoward towards me” while describing him him as one of her oldest friends.
During a discussion on plastic surgery, Katona went into detail on a facelift she had in 2024, with Holmes asking her if she was happy with the effect it had around her eyes.
The singer and TV personality replied: “I had them done over a year ago now. It was making my eyes feel a bit heavy, so I had an uplift.”
Responded Holmes: “And you don’t look Oriental or anything, do you?”
She replied that she didn’t want the shape of her eyes changed, but had wanted some skin removed.
The 65-year-old Ulsterman was later pushed to issue an on-air apology, but was clearly unhappy about having to do so.
During the broadcast, he told viewers: “Apparently, you’re not allowed to describe someone as looking Oriental or… I don’t know how I would then describe Kerry Katona if her eyes changed shape.
“I don’t know how I’m going to say, does she look like someone from some other country in the eastern [part of the world].
“The world is ridiculous, how you have to apologise for people – if she painted herself... I don’t know. I can’t get into this, but anyway.”
Attempting to move the issue on, co-host Ellie Costello said: “But Kerry looks beautiful.” Holmes replied “Kerry looks well” before stating down the camera: “I’m sorry if you [watching this] don’t look well, or we have offended you in any way or... oh, I don’t know.”
In a video posted to her Instagram stories, Katona said she was not offended by his question.
Stating she had just come out of a facial beauty treatment only to be surprised by coverage of the interview, she said: “Eamonn Holmes has been one of my oldest and longest friends, and I absolutely adore and love him to bits.
“He said absolutely nothing untoward towards me, I was not offended in any way shape and form. I truly adore him.”
GB News declined to comment.
Eamonn has suffered health woes in recent years, forced to rely on a walker and wheelchair since undergoing back surgery after a serious fall at home in 2022.
In May of this year, he hit the headlines after falling off his chair while on air during the GB News breakfast show he presents with Costello.