Eamonn Holmes drops namesake bombshell after admitting he'd 'never liked' his name: 'It's individual!'

WATCH NOW: Eamonn Holmes reveals who his mother named him after

GB News
Georgia Pearce

By Georgia Pearce


Published: 04/11/2024

- 09:29

At least one in 10 Britons hate their name given to them at birth, according to a new study

GB News presenter Eamonn Holmes has revealed the origin of his "unique" name as he told the story of his mother's inspiration for his namesake.

The revelation was made during a discussion on a new study, which found that one in 10 of Britons hate the names they are given at birth - with people called Nigel, Gary and Tracy being the least happy.


As commentators Kriss Akabusi and Dawn Neesom shed light on their names and whether they like them, Eamonn weighed in on the discussion, telling the panel who his name was inspired by.

Eamonn admitted on GB News: "I never, never liked my name, ever. And then I realised that it's made me more individual, because there are no other Eamonns about."

Eamonn Holmes, Isabel Webster

Eamonn Holmes reveals which TV presenter his mother named him after

GB News

Eamonn quipped to co-host Isabel Webster: "So therefore I can just go by Eamonn, whereas no one would know Isabel, she's Isabel Webster."

Recalling how his mother chose his name, Eamonn revealed to the panel that at first his mother "couldn't think of a name", until she began watching television in the hospital.

Eamonn told them: "I was named after a TV presenter. My mother was in hospital and couldn't think of a name.

"And the TV presenter Eamonn Andrews, he popped up on the television and she said, 'oh, he's got hair like my Eamonn', and she called me after him."

GB News panel

Isabel Webster also revealed what her name would have been had she been born a boy

GB News

Reacting to the story, Akabusi said Eamonn's name origin is "lovely" and "fantastic".

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Sharing her own name-based revelation, Isabel then revealed to the panel what her name would have been had she been born a boy.

Isabel recalled: "Funnily enough, over the weekend my brother and I we chatting with our parents about how close to other names we were, and my mum said if I was a boy I would have been called Marius.

"I think it's quite weird choice, Marius Webster. I'm forever grateful that I wasn't that!"

Detailing the negative connotations that can come with the names you are given, Akabusi shared how he "changed his name" to be able to "fit in" more in Britain and not be "ostracised".

Eamonn Holmes, Isabel Webster

Eamonn told the GB News panel that he 'never used to like his name'

GB News

He explained: "When I was a young man in 1975, leaving the children's home, I changed my name from Kezie, which had all sorts of connotations with my sort of negligent character as a youngster. But also because it was very definite, African name.

"Back then, the culture wasn't the same as it is now, and so I wanted to fit in and not be ostracised and not be standing out.

"But even today, I get some speaking engagements and I will wear more traditional wear because I've accepted Kezie in my African heritage. And then the abuse you get on social media, saying that you're not British. You get all sorts.

"When a name, your ancestry, is from another part of the world, it can be detrimental."

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