‘NEVER, NEVER’ – DECODING the Mystery behind Ben Shephard’s VOW – He once Declared he would NEVER RETURN to Breakfast TV after leaving GMTV. But 10 years later, he embarked on a journey with Kate Garraway on GMB, and now with Cat Deeley on This Morning. Many viewers remain curious about the Backstage Truth that was Hidden during that time.

This Morning‘s new co-presenter Ben Shephard has looked back on his career, explaining how he may have never joined the show had he stuck to his own rule.

Last month, it was announced that Shephard and Cat Deeley will be replacing Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on the ITV daytime show.

Speaking with OK! magazine, Shephard admitted he was unsure about returning to breakfast TV after leaving GMTV – but he then decided to break that self-enforced rule to present Good Morning Britain for a decade, which then led to his new role.

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“I’ve loved hosting GMB over the past 10 years. When I left GMTV, I swore I’d never go back because of the early mornings and it goes to show how wrong I was,” he said.

Discussing his new gig, Shephard admitted “looking forward” to the later starts on This Morning.

“Not having to get up so early and to be able to have a lie-in is quite high up there with what I’m looking forward to,” he said.

“This Morning is my dream combination of a lie-in, eating cheesecakes and working with a fantastic team.”

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Shephard also paid tribute to his co-host Kate Garraway, who returned to Good Morning Britain in February following the death of her husband Derek Draper.

“Her journey has been well documented and I think we would all agree how remarkable she has been over the last four years,” Shephard said.

“I’ve learned so much from her, as I have from all of the people I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside.

“I’m grateful that my extended GMB family is only next door so whenever I get nostalgic, I know I’m not going to be far away.”