Ben Shephard bid farewell to Good Morning Britain on Friday after internet hosting his remaining present alongside co-star and pal Kate Garraway.
The presenter is leaving the breakfast present after touchdown a job as a everlasting host of This Morning alongside Cat Deeley. The pair will entrance their first programme on Monday, March 11.
Just minutes into the programme, Ben, 49, was visibly emotional after watching a montage of farewell messages from his colleagues, buddies and even two of his favorite West Ham footballers Carlton Cole and Mark Noble.
“Ben, your last day mate. You were there on my last day as a West Ham player, so it’s only right to send you a message,” stated Mark Noble. “Have a great day mate, probably you’ll be crying instead of me this time. Love ya.”
Holding back tears, Ben stated: “That’s Mark Noble. I was with Mark, this day, we played Manchester City, it was his last game and he was incredibly emotional in that stadium.”
He added: “Wow, thank you… That’s amazing.”
Dr Hilary additionally shared a tribute, telling Ben: “It’s been a fabulous privilege working with you. Over the years, we’ve had so much fun, we’ve played football in the old Arsenal studio, we’ve talked about all sorts of medical subjects, we went to Haiti six months after the earthquake, it’s been a privilege working with you, it really has.”
He added: “I know that going onto This Morning, you’re going to absolutely smash it. Break a leg mate, keep in touch!”
Ben was visibly moved by the messages. “I’m desperately trying to hold this together, we’ve got three hours,” he advised viewers. “It’s lovely to be here for the last time. And we’ve got a busy show to get through as well.”
Ben has been a mainstay of ITV Breakfast for many years, having joined the now-defunct GMTV back in 2000 as an leisure presenter earlier than finally turning into one of many present’s foremost hosts alongside Fiona Phillips, and later Kate Garraway.
In 2014, he was introduced as a part of the brand new line-up for Good Morning Britain, becoming a member of Susanna Reid, Charlotte Hawkins and Sean Fletcher, and reuniting with Kate.
Opening up about his resolution to transfer to This Morning on Thursday’s present, Ben stated: “Obviously, it’s something I considered very, very carefully because these guys have been my family – for the last ten years for some of them and way, way longer for us Kate).
“So, it is not one thing that I’ve taken flippantly however it seems like fairly an thrilling alternative.”
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