‘He’s dead to us’ jokes Kate Garraway as she pushes Ben Shephard aside after his Good Morning Britain exit
GOOD Morning Britain anchor Kate Garraway joked her former co-star Ben Shephard was now “dead to us” after he left the show for This Morning.
Ben, 49 – a fan favourite on the early-morning ITV series – quit back in February for his fresh role and later wake-up call.
He fought back tears on his last Good Morning Britain, which aired on February 23, before heading to the studio next door to front This Morning with Cat Deeley, 47.
Ben’s long-time best mate Kate, 56, couldn’t resist a dig as the pair reunited at the Variety Awards last night.
Wearing a glam yellow suit and joined by GMB’s meteorologist Laura Tobin, 42, Ben gushed over the differences in his new job – including cooked meals and more sleep.
He said: “They cook for us, we get a lie in and it’s generally more civilised.
“Do you know what, I couldn’t have done This Morning without my 10 years doing what I do with Kate and Susanna and Charlotte – and Ranvir and Laura being a part of the team as well.
“I mean, the last 10 years has flown by hasn’t it?”
Kate, who was seen shaking her head, then jokingly interjected: “He’s dead to us, he is dead to us.”
She then pushed him aside in a tongue-in-cheek moment showing her storming away.
Earlier in the night, Kate was bestowed an award for her Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting.
All change
Both viewers and co-hosts alike were left hugely upset at Ben’s GMB departure.
He had fronted the show for a decade on Thursdays and Fridays with Kate and, prior to that, the pair had worked together on various other ITV daytime shows including GMTV.
At the time of his departure, Ben spoke out about how leaving his show “wife” Kate was the “hardest decision”.
In a statement, he said: “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.”
He continued: “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 being 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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“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.”
Ben has been temporarily replaced on GMB by Adil Ray.
