‘MY KIDS MIGHT BE MORE INTERESTED IN MY SHOWS IF EDITED THEM AS TIKTOK CLIPS’

PRESENTER BEN SHEPHARD ON CELEBRATING HUMBLE HEROES, BEING AN EMBARRASSING DAD AND WEDDING ANNIVERSARY PLANS

- KIRSTY HATCHER

Ben Shephard is a busy man. When he’s not filling us in on the day’s latest stories on Good Morning Britain, he can be found presenting hit ITV game shows Tipping Point and Ninja Warrior UK: Race For Glory. And if he’s not doing those, he’s hosting the podcast Proper Football, alongside his Ninja Warrior UK co-host and soccer legend Chris Kamara.

“I don’t know how I fit it all in,” he laughs. “I think I’m so worried I’m going to get found out and have to get a proper job one day, I just keep saying ‘yes’ to stuff!”

And as if the 47-year-old – who is also a dad-of-two – didn’t have enough on his plate, he has decided to add another string to his bow. Ben’s latest venture is very much a passion project – he has published Humble Heroes, a book about hope and humanity which records acts of everyday heroism that have inspired him.

“It was an idea born out of a reaction to what was happening during the pandemic,” explains Ben. “The news was pretty bleak and very worrying but at the same time I knew there were lots of people doing incredible things and it was happening in my community, too.

“I just felt like we needed a bit more of that, so I put out some calls on social media for people to nominate their local heroes.”

The presenter says he was overwhelmed with the response and knew he had to use his platform to “shine a light” on these stories and say thank you.