Ruth Langsford has responded to speculation that she may return to This Morning following Holly Willoughby’s departure.

The TV presenter, 63, and her husband Eamonn Holmes used to front the ITV show on Fridays until they were replaced by Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond.

However, since Holly, 42, confirmed she would be quitting the show, fan speculation that Ruth may return to the programme has emerged.

This Morning is currently being fronted by a rotation of presenters after Holly’s exit and Phillip Schofield being fired by ITV after he admitted to lying about a romantic relationship he had with a former younger colleague.

But Ruth, who still appears as a panelist on Loose Women, has firmly shut down rumours that she might return to the show as she insisted ‘that ship has sailed’.

Ruth Langsford has responded to speculation that she may return to This Morning following Holly Willoughby’s departure

However, since Holly (pictured), 42, confirmed she would be quitting the show, fan speculation that Ruth may return to the programme has emerged – which she has now firmly denied

She told Hello! magazine: ‘I think that ship has sailed. Listen, never say never. I adore that show and it was a dream to work on it.

‘I worked on it before Eamonn, actually people forget that. I say to him: “I took you to work, don’t forget!”‘

Ruth and Eamonn presented the Friday episode of the show from 2006 until 2021 when Eamonn ended his contractual obligations with ITV and his relationship with the channel.

While Ruth no longer presents This Morning, she continues to work on Loose Women but said she is not in the running to replace Holly.

Despite having no current plans to commit long-term, previously said Eammon’s exit from ITV wouldn’t stop her from returning for a short stint on the show if she wanted.

She told Woman & Home magazine: ‘I don’t have to ask Eamonn’s permission to do anything, or for him me, so if ITV said, ‘Would you come and do a week on This Morning?’ and if I was free and it was with the right person, I probably would do it.’

The married couple share a son Jack, 21, and Ruth recently opened up about how she felt when he left to go to university.

Jack moved out of their Surrey home to Manchester to go to Salford University to study broadcast journalism.

Last month, Ruth broke down in tears as she confessed his move left her feeling ‘horrendous’ as the house felt empty without him.

The TV presenter, 63, and her husband Eamonn Holmes used to front the ITV show on Fridays until they were replaced by Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond

Ruth and Eamonn share a son Jack, 21, (all pictured with Eamonn’s daughter Rebecca) and Ruth recently opened up about how she felt when he left to go to university

She told Hello! Magazine’s In A Good Place podcast: ‘That first week of not having him at home literally felt like part of my heart ripped out.’

‘I remember coming into his bedroom and crying and getting hold of the pillow and I could smell him on the pillow,’ she went on.

‘We always moan about our teenagers: “I don’t know why I’m here, you never b****y talk to me any way, I’m just like your slave”.

‘Then when they’re gone, you miss making them breakfast and you miss picking their blazer off the floor and you miss their big trainers in the hall that always drive you mad.’

Eamonn also has three children Declan, 34, Rebecca, 32, and Niall, 30, from his previous marriage with Gabrielle, whom he split from in 1996 after 10 years of marriage.