Yahoo News Ben Shephard explains decision to leave Good Morning Britain for This Morning
Ben Shephard has explained why he has decided to leave Good Morning Britain, following the announcement that he is becoming a main presenter on This Morning.
Yesterday (February 16), it was confirmed that Shephard and Cat Deeley would present ITV's flagship daytime show from Monday to Thursday on a permanent basis, following the departures of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby last year.
Speaking about his decision to go from GMB to This Morning, Shephard explained that it wasn't an easy choice for him to make.
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On what he is looking forward to about being on This Morning, he said: "Not having to get up so early and to be able to have a lie in is quite high up there. But seriously it has to be the people. From the team to the guests to, of course, Cat – it’s all about the people. I’ve worked with many of the team on and off but to work with them full time is very exciting."
On what he'll be leaving behind, he added: "I've loved hosting Good Morning Britain over the past 10 years since it launched. When I left GMTV, I always swore I'd never go back because of the early mornings and it goes to show how wrong I was.
"I'm grateful that 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!"
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He also paid tribute to his GMB co-star Kate Garraway, stating: "One of the hardest decisions of course is knowing that 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."
Garraway herself congratulated Shephard on the move and wished him luck.
Good Morning Britain and This Morning both air on weekday mornings on ITV.
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