‘I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A JOKE ON AIR’ – GMB fans CHOKE UP as Ben Shephard OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES HIS DEPARTURE to join This Morning. What are the REASONS that made Ben Shephard CAPTURE the Hearts of fans so Deeply?
Good Morning Britain star Ben Shephard has confirmed that tomorrow’s show (February 23) will be his final presenting appearance.
The TV host is leaving the early morning show after 10 years for a new role on fellow ITV programme This Morning.
Shephard will be a regular co-host on the sofa alongside So You Think You Can Dance? and SMTV:Live’s Cat Deeley. It’s understood that the two have filled the vacancy left following Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby’s departures last year.
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“Thank you very much for the amazing messages I’ve had,” he said during today’s broadcast (February 22). “Obviously it’s something I considered very, very carefully, because these guys have been my family for the last 10 years for some of them.
“Way, way longer for us,” he added, pointing at his long-standing co-host Kate Garraway.
“It’s literally the other side of the wall, so I’m really, really not going far,” he continued, calling his new role an “exciting opportunity.”
“Tomorrow is going to be my last day on Good Morning Britain,” Shephard confirmed, with Kate quipping back: “I’ve got 27 hours of Ben Shephard left.”
Shephard added: “I walked into the studio this morning and the crew actually cheered.”
Asked whether he thought the cheers were congratulatory, he joked: “No, I think they cheered cos they thought thank goodness he’s going.”
Whilst Shephard confirmed his final GMB appearance, ITV are yet to share his and Deeley’s start date on This Morning.
It’s understood that the pair will be regular presenters of the Monday-Thursday shows from March, with Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary continuing to host Friday mornings.
