Ben Shephard's 20-year secret after topless incident with Kate Garraway
Ben Shephard will present Good Morning Britain for the final time today with his 'on-screen wife' Kate Garraway.
The popular broadcaster made the difficult decision to leave the ITV breakfast show for good after becoming the new face of This Morning, alongside Cat Deeley. Ben and Kate go way back, with the two practically neighbours at one stage.
But an unfortunate incident almost came between the friends, with Ben forced to bury what happened for more than two decades out of sheer embarrassment. After working on breakfast TV together, they often met up away from the cameras.
As the 49-year-old lived just around the corner from Kate, 56, he would often pop round for a cup of tea and a natter. However one fateful lunchtime visit left Ben with the 'shivers'.
Explaining what happened on GMB in 2019, Ben told viewers: "I'd invited myself over for a cup of tea like I often did as she wasn't usually keen as she had to tidy up." An avid cycler at the time, he rocked up to the townhouse and started to secure his bike to the railings.
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Kate and Ben have shared a TV partnership for 20 years (REX/Shutterstock)
The pair often leave each other in fits of laughter (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Kate's kitchen was down in her basement, which meant he could see inside from above while locking up his bike. Suddenly, a naked person walked into the kitchen - and horrified Ben quickly realised it was his pal Kate.
"Kate had obviously gone home and had a sleep. Suddenly someone nude walked into the kitchen and I looked up and it was Kate. And she was topless," explained the red-faced presenter. "I kind of stopped. I was transfixed."
While Ben's eyes nearly popped out he was almost paralysed to the spot and did not want to move in case she saw him. Thinking it would be too embarrassing to explain what happened, Ben slowly undid his bike chain then cycled off in a "hot sweat".
"I sort of froze, panicked... walked away really embarrassed," he told the Sunday Mirror last year. "It became a thing in my head... I couldn't tell her." When confused Kate asked when he was coming over, nervous Ben claimed he had "just got a bit tied up".
So he kept the memory to himself for nearly 20 years, until he made the mistake of letting it slip. Ben confessed all to Chris Moyles on a podcast after having a few drinks, which he admitted he regretted.
Kate was left red-faced when she found out (GMB)This meant he was obviously forced to come clean to Kate after nearly two decades in case she discovered it from somebody else. Red-faced Kate admitted she was "flabbergasted" when Ben sat her down to finally reveal what he had seen.
"He was sweating buckets," revealed Kate. "The idea he's seen me naked all this time and I never knew...we're like brother and sister. I'm so glad it was before I had kids."
As well as telling Kate alone, Ben fessed up to the entire nation and his colleagues on Good Morning Britain. Giggling Kate joked that he was "paralysed" when he saw her semi-dressed, while Susanna told him: "I think what you mean to say is 'I looked away to preserve her dignity'."
Stuttering Ben tried to claim he did not want to move, but Susanna started making mocking faces as he spoke. The presenters, who have been happily married to their partners for years, definitely saw the funny side. The embarrassing incident is not the only hilariously risqué moment that the close friends have shared.
Ben and Kate have had many laughs together over the years (ITV)They started working together on GMTV when Ben hosted the Entertainment Today segment, while Kate was a main presenter on the breakfast TV show. Live on air in 2016, Ben inadvertently flashed mum-of-two Kate’s “huge” high-waisted knickers to the nation after pretending to throw her into an ice bath.
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Referring to her bestselling book The Joy of Big Knickers, he joked: "I showed the world your pants. You got a book deal off the back of that – and I’ve not had my cut yet!"
Kate shot back: "You kept saying no one saw – everyone saw! I was getting tweets about it. My mum was furious. She said, ‘Why were you wearing nude pants? You could have at least worn something nice and silky.’"
The pair have supported one another through many of the major events in their own lives – weddings, moving house, having children – as well as handling tough news stories and light-hearted topics on screen. Kate tells Ben, who has been married to Annie since 2004 and also has two children: "It's a weird one. You were single when I met you and I was married to someone else.
"We went through all the heartbreak of that, the dating disasters, meeting Derek and getting married, having babies. You've been really calm throughout." Most recently, Ben has been a constant source of support on and off camera during some of the worst few years of Kate's life.
Ben and Kate presented together on GMTV many moons ago (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Kate lost her husband Derek Draper in December last year after he tragically suffered a major heart attack at the age of 56. He had been suffering from long-term complications of coronavirus after contracting the deadly virus back in 2020.
The mum-of-two has leaned on Ben for support, and when she returned to work last month, commented on how nice it was to be back in the studio with her co-star. Shephard has said leaving Good Morning Britain had been the hardest decision due to his relationship with Kate.
Ben, who also hosts ITV's Tipping Point and Ninja Warrior UK, said: "I'm grateful my extended GMB family is only next door so that whenever I get nostalgic I know I'm not going to be far away. Although I'll miss being on screen with them, my later starts mean I may be able to hang out with them all a bit more.
"One of the hardest decisions of course is knowing my mornings with Kate, my on-screen wife of nearly 20 years, is coming to an end. Her journey has been well documented, and I think we would all agree how remarkable she has been over the last four years. I won't miss the mess but I've learned so much from her, as I have from all of the people I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside."
*Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV at 6am
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