'It's always sad when a relationship breaks up...' Carol McGiffin says Ruth Langsford's split from Eamonn Holmes must be 'really hard'

Carol McGiffin has opened up on Ruth Langsford's split from husband Eamonn Holmes admitting it must have been "really hard".

The TV power couple made headlines in May after announcing that their nearly 14-year-long marriage was over, and now Ruth's former 'Loose Women' co-panellist has offered her sympathy to the pair as any separation in the public eye is tough.

In an interview with OK! magazine, Carol said: "It's always sad when a relationship breaks up, but it's sadder when you're so in the public eye. It's really hard.

"Everyone's speculating, everyone has a theory. I'd put everything I own on the fact that a lot of it is b*******.

"I feel for them both in that respect. I love them both, I've worked with them both, been at parties with them both."

Carol - who experienced her own public break-up when her marriage to TV star Chris Evans ended in 1993, with their divorce finalised in 1998 - hasn't "reached out" to Ruth yet, but she doesn't think the former 'This Morning' host would want to hear from her right now.

She said: "I'll send her a message when I know what's really going on, not before. Otherwise, you're just adding to the noise."

Carol appeared on 'Loose Women' for 23 years, though left the ITV programme last year after finding she didn't "fit in there anymore".

The 64-year-old presenter misses appearing on the show, despite being happy with her decision to step down from the panel due to her feeling as though her views were being policed.

She said: "It was once a great job. It doesn't really have many alternative opinions now. And I do watch it occasionally to remind myself that I made the right decision.

"I don't regret leaving – I don’t fit in there anymore.

"Someone, somewhere will be offended by absolutely everything. I'd rather not be on a show that panders to that.

"It's boring – and I won’t be told what I can or can't say."

Despite having problems with the show, Carol stressed she was "still very good friends with a lot of the Loose ladies".

She said: "Denise Welch popped down here with Lincoln [Townley, her husband] last year and we met them for lunch.

"I've seen Kaye [Adams], Jane [Moore] and Nadia [Sawalha] a few times."