Ben Shephard admitted he was "in the middle of a midlife crisis" when he took part in The Masked Singer. The 51-year-old television presenter stunned audiences when he unmasked himself as Conkers in the most recent series, coming second to victor Keisha Buchanan, who starred as Moth.
Ben acknowledged that the series gave him an escape during a difficult time and quipped it was "much better than getting a fast car".
He told the Daily Mail: "Basically, doing The Masked Singer, I was slap bang in the middle of a midlife crisis, but what was much better than getting a fast car was to surround myself in a beautiful Conkers costume.
"I had so many flipping songs and lyrics to memorise, I would wake up in the dead of night, and I would try and go for a wee, and I would have to sing the song three times in my head before I could go."
He added: "Ah man, it was so traumatic, I had no sleep, it was relentless and brilliant at the same time. It was this crazy juxtaposition of this incredible rush when it was done and the trauma of doing even more tomorrow because we filmed every other day."
Ben added that reaching 50 in 2024 was a major milestone for him, and he pushed himself to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Having hit the major landmark, he set himself a "physical challenge". Regrettably, he also acknowledged that he probably has "less time ahead" than he's "already lived".
It appears this mindset has motivated Ben to ensure he lives each day to the "most extreme it can possibly be". He noted that he's "kept it up" but admitted he's a bit more lenient with alcohol and sugar.
Finally, the Tipping Point host expressed his hope that his efforts will inspire others to think that if he can do it, "why can't anybody else?"
In other news, Ben revealed an occasion when he left his This Morning co-presenter, Cat Deeley, in tears. The pair took over from Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby in March 2024.
Speaking on the ITV programme yesterday (Monday, February 16), he recounted the moment that Cat first saw him as Conkers and was reportedly moved to tears.
He informed fellow This Morning presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary: "I had a couple of people that were in my confidence, and Cat was one of them, because I was so traumatised that after every episode, I would come in in the morning shaking and we'd have to talk it through.
"And when she first saw Conkers... he was such a special character, she burst into tears when she saw him. Those big eyes and wobbly knees. It was a testament to costume over class, because I certainly shouldn't have been there!".
Following the final, Ben described the experience as "extraordinary", noting that, having turned 50, he thought to himself that he's "gotta do a few more scary things" and this was his "favourite".
