'I proposed in a text message': How Eamonn Holmes convinced Ruth Langsford to marry him after 12 years together

After waiting 12 years to ask for his partner Ruth Langsford's hand in marriage, Eamonn Holmes was understandably nervous when he finally proposed.

So rather than find the right words to ask Ruth to marry him, the TV presenter decided on a more modern approach - to propose via text message.

The Northern Irish host, 49, asked Ruth to marry him in a spur-of-the-moment decision at the Cheltenham Races on St Patrick's Day - her 49th birthday.