Ben Shephard has shared details of a tragic family accident that occurred before he was born. The This Morning presenter, 51, never met his maternal grandfather, who drowned when his mother was just seven years old.
The TV star, who was privately educated in Essex, described his family as 'working class'. He said his mother grew up with 'very little' after her father died trying to save her sister in a river. 'Mum lost her father when she was seven, he drowned trying to save her sister in a river. They grew up on one income, with very little,' he told the Daily Mail.
Shephard, who also hosts Tipping Point and previously co-presented GMTV and Good Morning Britain with Kate Garraway, explained that his parents worked hard to provide for him. His father left school with no qualifications but became an accountant through night school, while his mother worked as a nurse and midwife.
The father of two, married to wife Annie since 2004, recently spoke about living 'separate lives' with his wife, noting that Annie is 'much more solitary' and often needs space. They are preparing to become empty-nesters as their sons Sam, 21, and Jack, 19, pursue their own paths.
Shephard became emotional on This Morning while discussing Jack's 19th birthday, recalling a friend's message about Annie holding Jack for the first time 19 years ago. 'It was quite a moment, like...Wow, he's got so big so fast!' he said.
