Ben Shephard revealed ‘mindless, horrific, vile’ trolling (Image: Ray Burmiston)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeBen Shephard once blocked fans from leaving nasty comments on his social media after suffering horrific trolling. The This Morning and Tipping Point presenter, 49, said people would be “amazed” at the vile comments he has been subjected to throughout his on-screen career, with trolls trying to get a rise out of him. Speaking to OK! back in 2022, Ben said: “Social media can be an incredibly important tool for debate but what I don’t need is the mindless horrific vile abuse from people. You’d be amazed – people just want to get a reaction out of me, so I’ve changed my settings on my social media. I just want to be drawn to positivity and optimism and hope.”
Ben Shephard has his social media settings set to block nasty comments
(Image: Ray Burmiston)
The TV star – who married his wife Annie in 20024 – went on to say that he was already his own worst critic in a cut-throat industry. When he got his big TV break launching T4 on Channel 4 in the late Nineties, he quickly learnt about the industry’s downsides when he was fired, with his boss telling him, “It’s not working and I don’t think it’s ever going to.” He said: “It was brutal because it came out of nowhere. I was about 25 and thought I was going to be with Channel 4 for a couple of years. Then all of a sudden it was done and I clearly hadn’t been good enough in that role. It was really hard coming away from that and the reality of suddenly not having an income and not having a job. But what you realise is that when something goes wrong and then an opportunity comes along, you grab it even harder.”
Ben worked with Susanna Reid on GMB
(Image: Ray Burmiston)
For Ben, it was GMTV that came calling in 2000 and catapulted him to the heart of breakfast TV. He presented on GMB for many years, before taking over from Phillip Schofield on This Morning, and also hosts quiz show Tipping Point. But the knockback still haunts him. Ben admitted, during his time at GMB: “I still constantly question if I’m good enough. I’m always trying to improve – that’s one of the brilliant things working alongside Susanna Reid, Kate Garraway and Ranvir [Singh] and Charlotte [Hawkins] – I feel like I’m learning all the time. Nobody is more critical of me than I am of myself.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnBen ShephardSusanna ReidGood Morning Britain
