Eamonn Holmes uses offensive slur on live TV when asking Kerry Katona about appearance

Popular presenter Eamonn Holmes was forced to issue an apology after an offensive racial comment towards Kerry Katona.

The Northern Irish broadcaster was live on GB News this morning speaking to the TV personality about the pros and cons of plastic surgery, before a comment left the 44-year-old stumbling over her words.

Holmes, who broke his silence following his shock divorce from Ruth Langsford last year, has been presenting GB News since January 2022, following a long media career with the BBC and ITV.

However, viewers were less than impressed after a discussion with Katona saw him label her new-look eyes as 'oriental', one year on from the celebrity's facelift.

He asked: "Are you happy with the eyes?' Eamonn asked, before Kerry said: "I had them done over a year ago now. You know all it was I could... it was making my eyes feel a bit heavy so I had an uplift. But what I don't like is when..."

The presenter then added: "And you don't look Oriental or anything do you?"

While his co-presenter Ellie Costello tried to amend the situation by suggesting that Katona looked beautiful, Holmes doubled down.

He added: "Kerry looks well, I'm sorry if you don't look well or we have offended you in any way or... oh I don't know."

Later in the show, Holmes issued a half apology, that didn't include the word sorry, but he clearly didn't agree with bosses who asked him to amend his prior comments.

He said: "Apparently you're not allowed to describe someone as looking oriental or... I don't know how I would end up describing Kerry Katona if her eyes change shape.

"I don't know how I'm going to say does she look like someone from some other country in the eastern of the world... The world is ridiculous.

"How you have to apologise for people... if she painted herself or... I don't know I can't get into this. But anyway."

It isn't the first time that Holmes has had to apologise live on air, as he got caught swearing on GB News back in 2023.

'Oriental' is an archaic term used to describe someone from the East, and is often considered derogatory due to historic discrimination against Asian people.

The Home Office confirmed that it should be considered an offensive term while Labour's Sarah Owen, the first female MP of Chinese descent, called it 'incredibly outdated'.

Katona recovered to speak further about the struggles she went through after her face lift a year ago.

She said: "It's tough emotionally while recovering because you look so different and it's hard to get your head around. I had to get it done medically and it wasn’t just a vanity choice, but It was really hard. I did get a bit scared, I don’t think I’m ready to do something else now."

LADbible group has contacted the representatives of Eamonn Holmes for comment.