Ben Shephard barked back at David Walliams as he took a swipe at his t0pless magazine shoot live on This Morning.

Tuesday’s instalment of the ITV show saw the TV star, 53, chat to hosts Ben, 50, and Cat Deeley, 48, about his brand new book The World’s Worst Superheroes.

The pair were keen to find out about the characters in the novel, including one called Super Dave.

Ben said to the comedian: ‘Some of them are made up and some of them are real… so tell us about actual Super Dave?’

David jokingly said: ‘Well Super Dave is a bit like Ben Shephard but without the steroids.’

The comment made Ben and Cat burst into laughter.

Ben Shephard barks ‘its not steroids!’ as David Walliams takes OUTRAGEOUS swipe at his t0pless magazine shoot live on This Morning

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Tuesday’s instalment of the ITV show saw the TV star, 53, chat to hosts Ben, 50, and Cat Deeley , 48, about his brand new book The World’s Worst Superheroes

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Ben showed off his rippling muscles for a striking Men’s Health UK cover on Tuesday

Ben sternly told him: ‘It’s not steroids, David.’

The camera then panned in on David cracking up as his own joke.

Ben added: ‘It’s just protein.’

David said: ‘Protein shakes, that was it.’

It comes after presenter Ben showed off his rippling muscles for a striking Men’s Health UK cover on Tuesday.

The This Morning presenter looked incredible as he posed shirtless in the snaps which revealed his impressive abs.

During the accompanying interview Ben spoke about how it felt to pose for the magazine again for the first time since 2012 and how his body and understanding of health and fitness has changed in that time.

He also touched on the way he views life at 50, working out with his two sons, and his ambition to do another shoot when he turns 60.

Ben and co-star Cat cracked up at David’s joke during their interview on the ITV show on Tuesday

In one shot he wore just navy shorts as he fixed the camera with a stare, while for others he carried various weights to show off his strength.

Speaking about recreating a similar shoot to the one he did for Men’s Health in 2012, he said: ‘Recreating the cover shoot has been fantastic.

‘A friend asked me what the one exercise was that made the biggest difference. It’s not an exercise, it’s consistency.’

Speaking on how he approaches fitness now he added: ‘It came a little easier this time…

‘I have a deeper understanding of what I have to put myself through to build lean muscle and reduce body fat.

‘To get stronger, physically and mentally, is definitely harder the older you get. In my forties, I was still on the attack. In my fifties, I’m on the defensive.

‘It’s all about how I prolong things now – not going out and smashing it left, right and centre.

‘Proving to yourself you have the discipline to do something, proving you can be accountable to yourself is incredibly seductive and infectious. The more you get of that, the more you want it.’

He also spoke about whether he would be do another shoot for the publication in another decade when he is 60.

Ben gushed: ‘I love the idea of doing a shoot again at the age of 60. There are loads of fitness influencers that aren’t just in their twenties and thirties, but in their fifties, sixties and seventies – still doing it, still living, still owning it, still looking fantastic.

‘I find that incredibly inspiring.

‘I’ve followed Men’s Health religiously for the past 12 years. I will carry on following it, as well.

‘There might be a bit more grey in the hair now, but the hairline is still there.

‘So why not do it again at 60?’