Ben Shephard made a surprise return to ITV's Good Morning Britain on Monday (December 1) to launch the One Million Minutes campaign, appearing alongside presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls. The former GMB host, who left the programme in March to co-host This Morning with Cat Deeley, was greeted with enthusiasm by the team and viewers alike.
Susanna Reid welcomed Shephard back, saying: 'Where will we be once Ben Shephard has told us to join up and pledge? Welcome back to the desk!' Shephard replied: 'Hello everybody! Nice to see you all.' Ed Balls joked about his tie, to which Shephard responded: 'It's great isn't it! Freedom, Ed. Freedom!'
Shephard spoke about the importance of the One Million Minutes campaign, which has brought together thousands of volunteers with people experiencing loneliness and isolation across the UK. He said: 'The Million Minutes campaign has been such an extraordinary thing. It's been something like 882 million minutes that have been donated from people volunteering to help other people.'
Viewers expressed their delight on social media, with one fan posting: 'Yay Ben's back.' Another commented: 'Lovely to see Ben back in the GMB studio,' while a third shared: 'I miss Ben on GMB.' The campaign asks for time rather than money, focusing on connecting volunteers with those in need.
