A simple, new TEM specimen holder to detect cathodoluminescence (CL) in a transmission electron microscope has been developed. This holder accommodates a flat light-collecting reflector below the specimen and CL signals are guided to an optical spectrometer outside of the microscope through a quartz optical fibre. The compact system requires no modification of the microscope itself and allows large-angle specimen tilting and easy combination with other associate analytical tools. Test data are presented to aid the future application of the holder.