TV presenter Eamonn Holmes to give talk in Yorkshire to support mental health charity

Eamonn – who presents the breakfast show on GB News after many years on ITV’s This Morning – first saw the charity on BBC’s The One Show, when the programme donated a revamped Pacer train to Platform 1 for its base at Huddersfield Railway Station. He agreed to become its patron, recognising the vital service it provides for people in mental health crisis.

Eamonn has seen the terrible impact of mental health in his family. He is married to TV presenter Ruth Langsford, whose sister, Julia Johnson, took her own life in 2019 at the age of 62, devastating the family.

“Julia had suffered from depression for years but felt it was impossible to get help on the NHS," Eamonn, 63, says, “and that’s not the fault of people who work in NHS mental health services, it’s just that it’s not resourced. That’s why charities like Platform 1 and other small mental health charities are so important and need to be supported by people living in the areas they serve.

“I come from north Belfast and that area has the highest suicide rate among young men than anywhere else in western Europe. Why? There are probably so many factors such as unemployment and people having no hope and no sense of direction in a world that seems to get tougher and tougher, especially with the current horrendous cost of living crisis. Mental health is such a complex condition yet people suffering with it are often totally reliant on charities for help, support and guidance.”

Like many charities, Platform 1 has faced financial hardship in recent months. Eamonn and project leader Gez Walsh came up with the idea of the ‘an evening with’ fundraiser at Huddersfield Town Hall to help. “The first half will be me talking about my life – and there have been some tough and challenging times in it but I’ll throw in humour too – with Gez sitting opposite asking the questions,” Eamonn says. “I’ll also be talking about what I’ve seen in terms of mental health. In a sense, I’ll be in the psychiatrist’s chair watched by the public.”

In the second half, Eamonn will answer questions from the audience, which people will be asked to submit in advance of the event. “With small charities like this every pound counts so please let’s make as much as we can to give Platform 1 the funding it needs to literally keep on saving lives,” Eamonn says.

The event takes place on October 27 at 7.30pm. To book tickets, visit kirklees.gov.uk/beta/town-halls/book-tickets.aspx