TV star Ruth Langsford made a heartbreaking admission on today’s Loose Women (September 8) as she shared how empty nest syndrome affected her when her son Jack left home.

Ruth described the day Jack moved out as bittersweet. On one hand, she expressed pride at seeing her only child embark on the next chapter of his life, but on the other, she felt the pang of loneliness as her once bustling family home suddenly became quieter. She admitted she found herself wandering into his bedroom after he left, sitting on his neatly made bed, and reflecting on the years that had flown by. For Ruth, whose world revolved around balancing her high-profile career with motherhood, the silence was deafening. “You spend 18 years caring for this little person, and then suddenly, they’re gone,” she explained, her voice breaking. “It’s natural, it’s right, but that doesn’t make it easier.”

Her words highlight a challenge many parents face but often keep private: the profound sense of loss that can accompany the empty nest phase. Ruth shared how she struggled with her daily routines, admitting that she missed cooking Jack’s favorite meals, hearing his laughter echo through the house, and even the small messes that once frustrated her. She confessed that the evenings, in particular, were the hardest, as they were accustomed to sharing dinner, chatting about their days, and enjoying family television time together. With Jack gone, the rhythm of the home felt unbalanced, and she found herself clinging to these memories.

The adjustment was not just practical but deeply emotional. Ruth spoke about how the absence challenged her sense of identity. For nearly two decades, much of her life had been dedicated to being “Jack’s mum,” a role she cherished above all else. Letting go of that daily closeness forced her to confront new questions: Who am I when my child doesn’t need me in the same way anymore? How do I redefine myself in this stage of life? These questions, she admitted, were harder to answer than she ever expected.

Despite the tears and the aching heart, Ruth has also embraced strategies for coping. She revealed that leaning on her husband, fellow presenter Eamonn Holmes, has been essential. While both parents miss Jack, Ruth noted that Eamonn’s pragmatic perspective has helped balance her emotions. He reminded her that their role as parents was to raise a confident, independent young man capable of thriving on his own, and Jack’s move was evidence they had succeeded. Ruth admitted that while she understood that logically, her heart still struggled to catch up.

The former This Morning presenter, who recently teased a potential comeback to the show, is in the midst of a messy divorce from Jack’s father, Eamonn Holmes.

The pair got married in 2010. However, last year, they announced they had split. Eamonn, 65, has since moved on with girlfriend Katie Alexander, 43.

Ruth gets candid about son Jack leaving home

Ruth and her husband, Eamonn Holmes, split in 2024 (Credit: Splashnews.com)
During Monday’s episode of Loose Women, the panellists were describing their experiences after a heartbroken mother, faced with her children going to university for the first time, went TikTok-viral.

During the segment, Ruth Langsford admitted she “didn’t think” she would find her son leaving as emotional as it was.

“I thought, you know, I’ve got a busy life and da da da, and you know what it was, it was more, I was very excited for Jack going to uni,” she said.

“I always showed my excitement, so helping him get all his stuff and actually get this duvet… and inside going [mimics crying], but going, ‘Isn’t this exciting? Gosh, I wish I’d gone to university, blah, blah, blah’.”

‘You don’t know what they’re doing’

The 65-year-old continued: “It was the coming home, and the emptiness, and it was actually, it’s not that Jack spent loads of time with me, they don’t, you just come in and go… gone.”

“But it’s that you physically lay eyes on them every day, and suddenly they’re away, you don’t know what they’re doing, how they are.”

As the discussion continued, fellow panellist Coleen Nolan chimed in with some of her own thoughts.

Coleen shares Ruth’s grief

Coleen shared Ruth’s pain. (Image: Splash News)
“I’d spent years being somebody’s everything,” she explained.

“And now I felt no one needed me. And I felt even Mother Nature was going, ‘That’s enough now, dear. Off you pop.’”

“But genuinely, it really, really, and I think if I hadn’t have had, a, my kids to talk to about it, but also my family and friends, I really would have felt, I really think I would have got really, suffered really badly with depression because, I don’t know, I just felt so redundant to everyone,” she revealed.

Ruth Langsford has never shied away from wearing her heart on her sleeve, and in a candid new confession, the beloved television presenter has opened up about the emotional challenges she has faced since her son, Jack, left home for university. Speaking with raw honesty, Ruth admitted that the shift to an empty nest has left her grappling with feelings of sadness, longing, and adjustment, describing the transition as one of the most difficult emotional hurdles of her life. For fans who have followed her career on Loose Women and This Morning, her heartfelt reflections struck a chord, reminding many parents that even public figures experience the universal struggles of letting go.

Friends have also played a pivotal role in supporting Ruth during this transition. She revealed that many of her closest colleagues on Loose Women shared their own experiences of empty nest life, offering advice, empathy, and a reminder that these feelings are both normal and temporary. Ruth expressed gratitude for this solidarity, noting that talking openly about her struggles helped ease the burden. She encouraged other parents in similar situations to seek out conversations and not bottle up their emotions, insisting that sharing can be one of the most powerful tools for healing.

Ruth also leaned into her work as a form of distraction and purpose. While television has always been a demanding part of her life, she admitted that immersing herself in projects gave her structure and focus when the loneliness threatened to overwhelm her. Yet she was quick to clarify that no career achievement could ever replace the love and companionship of her son. Instead, her work became a way to remind herself of her strength and resilience while she adapted to this new stage of life.

Interestingly, Ruth acknowledged that Jack’s departure also opened opportunities for self-reflection and growth. With more time on her hands, she has been able to reconnect with hobbies, friendships, and personal goals that had often been sidelined in the busy years of parenting. She shared that she started journaling again, an activity she had loved in her youth, and has been exploring new fitness routines. These pursuits have become more than just distractions; they represent her effort to rediscover who she is outside of motherhood, proving that change, while painful, can also bring renewal.

At the heart of her confession was Ruth’s message of reassurance to parents struggling with similar feelings. She emphasized that missing one’s child does not mean being ungrateful for their independence or success. Instead, it reflects the depth of love and the natural difficulty of letting go. She encouraged parents to allow themselves to grieve the change but also to celebrate the milestones their children achieve. “It’s okay to cry,” she said. “It’s okay to feel lost for a while. But it’s also important to remember that this is what we’ve been working towards—to see our children spread their wings.”

Ruth also shared how Jack himself has been a source of comfort. Despite the physical distance, he has kept in touch regularly, calling and sending messages to check in on his parents. Ruth laughed as she admitted that Jack often reminds her not to worry too much and reassures her that he is adjusting well. Those calls, she said, are bittersweet: they fill her with pride and comfort, but they also remind her of the distance. Still, they have helped her slowly adjust to the reality that parenting evolves, even if it never truly ends.

Her candid reflections have resonated with thousands of parents across the country. Fans flooded her social media with messages of support, sharing their own stories of empty nest grief and thanking her for speaking openly about a topic that is often cloaked in silence. Many noted that Ruth’s honesty made them feel less alone, and some said her words inspired them to approach their own transitions with more compassion for themselves. The overwhelming response demonstrated how deeply Ruth connects with her audience, not just as a presenter but as a relatable human being navigating life’s challenges.

In opening up about her empty nest experience, Ruth Langsford has once again shown the power of vulnerability. Her story is not just about one mother missing her son; it is about the universal truth of parenthood: the joy of raising a child comes with the inevitable pain of watching them leave. But it is also about resilience, adaptation, and the reminder that life continues to offer new chapters even when one door closes. For Ruth, this moment may be heartbreaking, but it is also an opportunity to rediscover herself while cheering Jack on from a distance.