British television mainstay Ben Shephard talks about family and charity.
Ben Shephard is a familiar face on our television screens. The Chigwell-born presenter has built a successful career spanning more than two decades – his boyish good looks and ubiquitous charm having offered him a genuine and uncomplicated reputation as one of the UK entertainment scene’s good guys.
Ben Shephard studied at the University of Birmingham, earning a BA Honours degree in Dance, Drama and Theatre Arts, and it was there he also met his future wife, Annie. The couple married in 2004 and have two children, Sam and Jack – though he likes to lead a private life away from his career.
Shephard says: “I’m not one for staying in the public eye once I’ve wrapped up my commitments. I prefer to keep my family out of the limelight and just enjoy life like a normal person.”
The presenter’s broadcast career began on Channel 4, where he worked on The Big Breakfast spin-off show, The Bigger Breakfast.
Switching to ITV took the amiable star to new levels though, making a name for himself on The Xtra Factor, GMTV, The Krypton Factor and Dancing on Ice.
Since 2012, he has hosted the game show Tipping Point, and in February 2024 he joined Cat Deeley to co-present the channel’s flagship daytime magazine programme This Morning, following the departure of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.
Ben Shephard, a staunch West Ham United fan, has also been prominent on Sky Sports, not least in a really successful near-decade-long run from 2010 where he co-presented Goals on Sunday alongside Chris Kamara, with whom he maintains a strong friendship.
Actively involved in various charities, Shephard supports a variety of causes such as the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Haven House Children’s Hospice and the Holly Lodge Centre, regularly taking part in physical challenges to raise funds.
Fifty in December, he has also embarked on a raft of physical challenges, including running 145 miles for the Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF).
“I think being busy is so vital in everything I do,” says Shephard. “I don’t want to be one of those presenters who pops up all over the place, because I know that can get annoying from the perspective of someone sitting on their sofa.
“At the same time though, if it’s a fun opportunity and I think I can add a bit of interest and humour to it, of course I’m going to give it a go. Whether I succeed is for other people to judge!”
