George Alexander has spoken for the first time, exclusively to The Sun on Sunday, since his former love Katie Alexander, 42, started dating the presenter, 64.

Ruth, also 64, announced in May she and her former This Morning co-host Eamonn were separating and heading for divorce.

After she found messages between him and another woman on a laptop.

George, 53, who was married to Katie from 2010 to 2022, said: “I have a lot of sympathy for Ruth.

“I have had my heart broken when my marriage to Katie ended.

“It took me a couple of years to recover. I know how distraught Ruth must be feeling. She’s going through what I did after our marriage ended.”

And he added: “Katie has a heart so will feel bad about Ruth.”

Businessman George said Katie and Eamonn first made contact as friends on social media while they were still married.

He went on: “She was not swooning over him like he was George Clooney.

“But she liked being on social media and one day she said she’d had a reply from him.

And he added: “Katie has a heart so will feel bad about Ruth.”

Businessman George said Katie and Eamonn first made contact as friends on social media while they were still married.

He went on: “She was not swooning over him like he was George Clooney.

“But she liked being on social media and one day she said she’d had a reply from him.

“She’d commented on one of his posts (on social media) and Eamonn got in touch. I must admit I laughed it off.”

There is no suggestion from George that Katie’s contact with Eamonn led to the breakdown of their marriage, and he accepts they parted amicably.

But after their divorce in 2022 he became aware relationship therapist Katie and Eamonn were meeting up.

He said: “I was surprised by it. Katie would go and visit him. It was a regular pattern.”

The Sun on Sunday revealed in June Katie and Eamonn had been on outings together, including to a Beyonce concert and a safari park, and she was later seen visiting the presenter at his home in Surrey.

Eamonn had also showered her with gifts.

George, who wishes Katie and Eamonn well and remains on good terms with his ex-wife, joked: “I don’t fancy Eamonn as a presenter but as a fellow Manchester United fan he seems OK by me. Maybe he can get me tickets for United games. I have no beef with him. If she had left me for him, then it might be different.

“I just hope he treats Katie right. She’s a nice person.”

Speaking of how they got together in 2004, he said of Katie: “She is absolutely stunning. She’s a good looking woman even now. We met in a coffee shop. I always made sure I sent her flowers.

“She was great fun to be with. I couldn’t believe my luck. She turned heads. I am 11 years older than her but I didn’t think much of it. We were blissfully happy. I asked her to marry me over ­champagne and felt the luckiest man alive.”

The Sun on Sunday revealed in June ITV’s Loose Women host Ruth confided to close friends that there was “no way back” for their 14-year marriage.

Some had speculated Eamonn’s crippling health problems with his back had been a factor in their marriage breakdown but sources later told of Ruth’s devastation at finding the messages between her husband and another woman.

It emerged that Katie, who is from West Yorkshire, has been recently driving to Eamonn’s new home in Surrey and spending time with him.

Last week, Ruth was seen still wearing her wedding ring after Katie was pictured with a sparkler, leading to false speculation she had got engaged to Eamonn.

Katie has also been on trips to Belfast where Eamonn has friends and family.

And last October, he attended a small fundraising event in Yorkshire for a charity linked to Katie’s work — agreeing to become a patron.

Eamonn had a double hip replacement in 2016.

He had back surgery last year but it left him using a wheelchair.

And in January he broke his shoulder in a fall.

Ruth and Eamonn first met in 1997 and she gave birth to their son, Jack, in 2002.

He has three children from his first marriage

They won millions of fans presenting ITV’s This Morning together between 2006 and 2021.

He has lately been hosting the breakfast show on GB News.

The Sun on Sunday approached Katie for comment.