Ben Shephard, the 49-year-old This Morning presenter, has caused a stir with an X-rated comment after his unexpected mention on Coronation Street. The soap's character Mary Taylor, played by Patti Clare, referenced a past Good Morning Britain moment where Shephard joked about being a 'professional pussy-holder' while holding a cat.
The mention occurred during a dramatic episode where Bernie Winter dumped Dev Alahan after a failed proposal. Mary quipped: 'The last time I was lost for words was when Ben Shephard was stroking a pussy cat on Good Morning Britain and it got away from him and he said: "I'm not a professional pussy-holder." Oh Ben.'
On Wednesday's This Morning, the clip was replayed during the soap segment with Sharon Marshall. Shephard revealed his great auntie Jan, an avid Coronation Street fan, first alerted him. He said: 'My social media went absolutely crazy... I was trying to work out what on Earth they were talking about.'
The original GMB clip showed Shephard with a black cat that escaped his grasp. Co-host Kate Garraway joked about his handling, prompting his now-famous reply. On This Morning, Shephard added: 'I am still not one, and Mary is absolutely right.'
Shephard later shared the clip on Instagram, writing: 'Mary is absolutely right, I'm no "professional pussy-holder" as this clip will show - but I'm ready to learn!' Fans flooded the comments, calling for him to appear on the soap, with one suggesting: 'You and Mary in the Rovers Return, with matching sweaters.'
