Last week, TV presenter Ben Shephard announced he was leaving Good Morning Britain (GMB) after a decade, which meant he would be saying farewell to his “on-screen wife” Kate Garraway after 24 years.
But the 49-year-old isn’t going too far from ITV as he was recently confirmed as one of the new permanent hosts of This Morning, along with Cat Deeley.
The duo will be replacing Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on the famous sofa, who both left the show last year.
Speaking about his GMB exit just under a week ago, Ben posted a statement on Instagram saying: “Ten years has flown by at GMB. I’ve loved every minute, (well not those minutes immediately after the alarm goes off at 3.30am) but all the others have been incredible. As have these amazing women I’ve been lucky enough to sit alongside, work with, laugh with and on the odd occasion drink with!
“I will miss working with them and the whole team - and I’m very grateful that they are just next door so that whenever I get nostalgic I know they aren’t too far away.”
However, ITV viewers may be wondering when Ben will be departing GMB for good.
Ben Shephard confirms ITV Good Morning Britain exit date
He shared the news earlier today (February 22), confirming when his last day on the morning show will be (it’s sooner than you might think), after thanking fans for their support of his decision.
Ben said: “Thank you very much for the amazing messages that I have had.
“Obviously, it’s something I considered very, very carefully because these guys have been my family – for the last 10 years for some of them and way, way longer for us [Kate].
“So, it’s not something that I’ve taken lightly but it feels like quite an exciting opportunity.”
Kate replied: “I think subliminally I’m trying to claw on to you, to hold you back. You finally got rid of the lead weights around your ankles.”
Ben told her: “It’s literally the other side of the wall so I’m really, really not going far.
“Thank you for the amazing messages and tomorrow (February 23) is going to be my last day on Good Morning Britain.”
The ITV star also posted a picture of himself and Kate smiling in the studio this morning, wearing their smart complimenting blue outfits along with the caption: “Two days and counting @kategarraway,” with a red love heart emoji.
Recommended reading:
- 'Take Kate with you' - Good Morning Britain fans react to Ben Shephard's exit
- Why GMB's Ben Shephard says leaving Kate Garraway was 'hardest decision'
- Meet the new presenting duo for This Morning as ITV confirms hosts
When does Ben Shephard start on ITV This Morning?
Since his new role was confirmed by ITV on February 16, it was revealed that Ben and Cat would start presenting This Morning in March but an exact date is yet to be announced.
But what we do know is that the pair will host from Monday to Thursday each week, with Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary continuing to present on Fridays.
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