Ben Shephard, Television Presenter

Born on December 11, 1974, Ben Shephard was raised in Essex. He attended the University of Birmingham where he gained a degree in Dance, Drama and Theatre Arts. He speaks fluent French and spent time working in a French wine chateau when he was younger.
While at the university, he spent time working as a runner for a local television station where he was encouraged to pursue presenting as a career. He took a television presenter’s course and found work on ‘The Bigger Breakfast’ on Channel Four in 1998. He joined GMTV in 2000, presenting the Entertainment Today slot. He has worked on a range of programmes for different channels including ‘EastEnders Revealed’ for the BBC, ‘The Xtra Factor’ for ITV2 and ‘Soapstar Superstar’ for ITV1. He is also presenting a Saturday breakfast show for radio station Magic FM.
Ben also has a sporty side. He supports West Ham Football Club and is a keen player himself. As a teenager he played for the Under 16s and Under 18s South East England teams. He has taken part in several celebrity football matches in aid of different charities including Soccer Aid in 2006 for UNICEF. He was part of the celebrity team which climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2009 in aid of Comic Relief and took part in and won a celebrity boxing match for Sport Relief on the BBC.
Ben met his wife, Annie, while they were at the University. They married in 2004 and now live in London with their two sons.