Ben Shephard Chokes Up on This Morning Over Son's 19th Birthday
This Morning presenter Ben Shephard became visibly emotional during Monday's live broadcast as he shared rare personal reflections on his family life, particularly focusing on his youngest son Jack's recent 19th birthday. The 51-year-old television favourite, who co-hosts ITV's flagship magazine show alongside Cat Deeley, found himself on the verge of tears while discussing how quickly time has passed since his children were young.
Emotional Moment on Live Television
During the programme, Shephard revealed that his son Jack had celebrated his 19th birthday over the weekend, prompting an emotional response as he contemplated the rapid passage of time. "It was Jack's 19th birthday on Saturday," Shephard told viewers, adding with characteristic humour: "I know I don't look old enough!"
The presenter went on to explain that while his sons were away in Bristol for the celebrations, he and his wife Annie received a poignant message from a friend. "A friend of ours messaged us saying that 19 years ago, Annie held Jack in her arms for the first time," Shephard shared, his voice wavering slightly. "It was quite a moment, like... 'Wow, he's got so big so fast!'"
Family Life and Parenting Reflections
Ben Shephard, who has been married to Annie since 2004, is father to two sons: Sam, aged 21, and Jack, who has just turned 19. The television personality, known for hosting shows including Tipping Point, typically keeps his family life private, making these on-air revelations particularly noteworthy for viewers.
Shephard humorously noted the practical benefits of his sons being away for the birthday celebrations, quipping: "But they weren't home, so it was brilliant, and the house was tidy! We had a very nice weekend."
Previous Family Revelations on This Morning
This emotional moment follows another surprising family revelation from Shephard earlier in the week, when he discussed his family's relaxed attitude toward nudity during his children's upbringing. During a conversation about Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden's admission that she once cooked a Sunday roast dinner while nude, Shephard revealed his own family's approach.
"Yeah - why not? Come on. We'd have a laugh," Shephard responded when asked about cooking naked in the kitchen with children present. He elaborated: "We go cliff jumping together, it's never been an issue. The boys are 20 and 18 now so we're probably all a little bit more discreet but growing up, if people weren't naked over the weekend, we hadn't had a normal weekend!"
Adjusting to Children Leaving Home
The conversation about family life continued as Shephard reflected on the challenges of children growing up and leaving home. Last year, during a segment about children flying the nest, Shephard admitted that he and his wife had struggled when their eldest son Sam moved to university.
"We're struggling with this as well in our house," Shephard confessed. "I think one of the things we do when Sam's gone back to uni is we organise to actually do something so they've gone, so we'll go out for a walk or go out for a drink or go out for dinner and we will distract from the fact the house is suddenly quiet."
Co-host Cat Deeley agreed, noting how the silence can create a sense of sadness, to which Shephard responded by highlighting the dramatic change in household dynamics: "It's enormous I've got men living in my house and it's really annoying they take up so much space and when they're gone the sofas are empty there's not as much mess."
Shephard explained their coping strategy: "So we try and go out and do something together, reconnect and then try and come back and it doesn't seem quite so empty I think."
This Morning continues to air weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX, featuring a mix of entertainment, lifestyle content, and personal discussions that occasionally offer viewers rare glimpses into the lives of their favourite presenters.
