Ben Shephard's Masked Singer Experience Left Him Traumatised and Sleepless
Television presenter Ben Shephard has candidly revealed how a midlife crisis career decision left him "traumatised" and battling severe sleepless nights. The 51-year-old This Morning host described the intense anxiety he experienced while competing on ITV's The Masked Singer, where he performed as Conkers and ultimately finished as runner-up in Saturday's final.
From Early Mornings to Midnight Anxiety
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Shephard explained that while he's finally enjoying "a lie-in" after decades of 3:30am alarms during his Good Morning Britain years, it was his participation in The Masked Singer that truly tested his limits. "Doing The Masked Singer, I was slap bang in the middle of a midlife crisis," he joked, adding that instead of buying a fast car, he chose to "surround myself in a beautiful Conkers costume."
The father of two described waking up in the middle of the night with song lyrics racing through his mind. "I had so many flipping songs and lyrics to learn, I would wake up in the middle of the night, and I would try and go for a wee, and I would have to sing the song three times in my head before I could go," he revealed. "Ah man, it was so traumatic, I had no sleep, it was relentless and brilliant at the same time."
The Addictive Nature of Live Television
Shephard, who has built his career on live television presenting, described the unique pressure of performing without a safety net. "Doing live TV is the most joyous thing in the world because no one can make you do it again, but it also comes with the jeopardy that if it goes wrong, or if you say the wrong thing, you're responsible," he explained. "The adrenaline is very addictive."
However, The Masked Singer presented a different kind of challenge entirely. "The only time I get nervous is when I feel I'm out of my depth like The Masked Singer, when I really question my life choices," he admitted. The experience proved particularly awkward when he performed a JLS song in front of band member Marvin Humes, who was competing as Can of Worms. "I murdered a JLS song in front of Marvin, I was mortified," Shephard confessed.
New Chapter on This Morning
Shephard joined This Morning in March 2024 alongside co-presenter Cat Deeley, replacing former hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby after their departures in 2023. He credits his partnership with Deeley with helping to steer the flagship daytime show back to its best form. "Cat has been brilliant," he said. "She hadn't done a show like This Morning with that high volume of turnover of content and live shows every single day which can be quite relentless, and she has taken to it like a duck to water."
The presenter emphasized that This Morning remains "unquestionably the viewers' show" and that he and Deeley receive immediate feedback about their performance. "We get told in no uncertain terms if they think we're doing a great job and also if they don't like what we have done," he noted.
Health and Lifestyle Transformation
Approaching his 50th birthday last year inspired Shephard to undertake a significant physical transformation. He committed to getting into the best shape of his life, cutting out alcohol and sugar completely while preparing for a Men's Health magazine cover shoot that showcased his chiselled physique.
"I turned 50 last year and set myself a physical challenge about turning 50 and how I was going to approach the next stage," he explained. "The reality is, I probably have less time ahead of me that I have already lived, and I want to make sure every single one of those days, I live to the most extreme it can possibly be."
While he has relaxed his strict regimen somewhat since the photoshoot, Shephard maintains that his health drive is about longevity rather than maintaining a six-pack. "Small changes can make the most enormous difference to your physiology," he observed, hoping his journey might inspire others. "Hopefully, me doing it, that bloke off the TV that everyone wakes up with - if I can do it - why can't anybody else?"
New Business Ventures with Joel Dommett
Shephard's commitment to living fully has extended beyond television into business ventures. Together with his close friend and podcast co-host Joel Dommett, he is developing a new skincare brand called Joel And Ben For Skin. The idea emerged from their podcast The Business Men and reflects their recognition of changing attitudes toward male grooming.
"We have a long way to go before we have physical product on the shelves," Shephard acknowledged, "but it was an idea dreamed up between me and Joel. We love that we have been lucky enough to work with some amazing skincare experts, and brilliant makeup artists and dermatologists, and come to the importance of looking after our skin."
The pair even engaged their audience in market research through a skincare survey, with a humorous wager that the person securing fewer sign-ups would get a nipple pierced. Dommett ultimately lost the challenge, and Shephard recalled watching the procedure with horror. "I'll be forever traumatised by watching that piercing happen," he said. "Joel is a pretty robust individual, but that was real pain when the needle went in - and I was only inches away."
Now settled into a more regular routine on This Morning with 6:30am wake-up calls instead of his previous 3:30am alarms, Shephard appreciates the balance he has achieved. Married for 21 years to wife Annie and father to sons Sam, 20, and Jack, 19, he recently moved into a 10-bedroom Grade II-listed mansion in Richmond, London. Through all his professional challenges and personal transformations, Shephard remains committed to embracing every opportunity with enthusiasm and resilience.
