Kate Garraway Playfully Jabs at Former Co-Host Ben Shephard After His Departure from Good Morning Britain
Kate Garraway is still adjusting to the absence of her longtime Good Morning Britain co-host, Ben Shephard, who left the ITV show earlier this year. After more than a decade together, Shephard departed the program to join Cat Deeley as a presenter on This Morning, following the departures of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. Since then, Garraway has been getting used to new co-hosts, but her playful spirit remains intact.
On a recent Friday episode, Garraway, who was hosting alongside Adil Ray, took a lighthearted jab at Shephard during a segment about pet abandonment. The topic led to a discussion about kittens at an RSPCA center, with Adil suggesting Kate adopt one and name it after one of her Good Morning Britain colleagues.
“I’m going with Sean, that’s it, sorted,” Kate said, gesturing toward news presenter Sean Fletcher. When Adil proposed other names, including Ben, Kate quickly shot back, “Not Ben,” while waving her arms dismissively, according to The Mirror. In response, Adil humorously suggested, “Get a tortoise, call him Ben, and leave him outside,” prompting laughter in the studio.
Kate’s playful quips reflect the camaraderie she shared with Shephard during their time on Good Morning Britain. Ben’s departure earlier this year was emotional for the entire team. On his last day in the studio in February, Kate, along with other co-stars, surprised him with a heartfelt send-off, leaving Ben visibly moved.
During the farewell broadcast, Kate delivered a touching message to her longtime friend and colleague: “I won’t say too much because you will make me cry. You’re an incredible person, an incredible friend, you’re an incredible broadcaster, and anyone who works with you loves you. I’m going to miss you. I won’t say any more, but we know that you’re going to be fantastic, and we all know we’re still going to be in your lives as friends.”
Fighting back tears, Ben responded with gratitude and emotion, acknowledging the impact of his time at Good Morning Britain. “The alarm going off has never been anything I’ve enjoyed, but what I have known is that as soon as I get in here, I’m going to be surrounded by brilliant, gorgeous, talented, challenging, chaotic, annoying, fabulous people that make me better at what I do.”
Ben also reflected on the sense of teamwork that fueled the show’s success, expressing his appreciation for both his colleagues and the behind-the-scenes crew: “It’s not lost on me that I wouldn’t be able to do it if you lot weren’t amazing and hadn’t been such fabulous friends and brilliant colleagues. There’s an extended family here at GMB, it’s not just us, we just get to do the glorious bit.”
As the show wrapped up, Ben shared a hopeful note about his next chapter, joking, “I can only cope with this because I know I’m not going far, and these guys are going to do an incredible job, and I’m going to get a lie-in.”