The Tipping Point host shared that his wife of 20 years asks him for ‘a bit of space’ at times.Kathryn Ingate and Eilidh Farquhar Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer
17:06, 31 Jan 2026
Ben Shephard has given some rare insight to his marriage with wife Annie.(Image: David M. Benett/Getty Images)
This Morning presenter Ben Shephard has given a rare insight into his marriage, opening up about he and his wife Annie “live separate lives”. Ben has been married to his better half for over two decades, with the couple sharing two sons, Sam, 21 and Jack, 19.
The 51-year-old is usually hush about his married life, wanting to keep that side of his life private. However in a new interview, the ITV host shared that his wife is “much happier in her own company”.
With nearly three decades in entertainment, Ben is used to being surrounded by people and getting involved in the hustle and bustle. However, he has revealed that Annie isn’t as interested in getting involved in the showbiz side of his life, reports the Mirror.
Speaking to Daily Mail’s weekend magazine, Ben shared: “Annie is much more solitary than me. She’s much happier in her own company. Half the time she’s like, ‘I need a bit of space. Can you leave me alone for five seconds, please?'”
However, despite their differences when it comes to spending time together, Ben was keen to emphasise that Annie is the “most important factor in our lives as a family”. The couple are likely to start spending more time together as they are expected to soon become “empty-nesters”.
While their son Jack is working as a teaching assistant before going off travelling, their other son Sam is currently studying maths at university. While he is “super excited” for them both, Ben did admit he will miss them.
Ben revealed he and Annie are soon to become ’empty-nesters’ as sons move out.(Image: Instagram/@benshephardofficial)
He added: “They make such a mess and eat everything when they’re in the house, but when they’re not there you go, “Oh, what are we going to talk about now?””
With the house already becoming a bit quieter, Ben shared: “We do live quite separate lives. I’m off working, she has her job, which is garden and interior design. If I’ve got spare time I want to do something physical.”
With their boys leaving the nest soon, Ben shared that himself and Annie are going to look for more activities they can enjoy together. At the moment the pair contrast greatly, as while Ben is keen to go out running and play golf, Annie prefers to visit gardens and art galleries.
The star revealed: “It’s about finding things that work for both of us – but as I say, that feels really exciting.”
In terms of the challenges he has taken on over his career, Ben revealed that the hardest was climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2009 with Fearne Cotton and other stars for Comic Relief.
He explained: “That was the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done because there were a number of occasions where people got into real trouble. Fearne had a real problem at one point, but that girl’s strength and grit are amazing.
“The head of our team had to go off from us and save somebody’s life and take them down. That’s the reality of that mountain, you can get it very wrong.”
He also noted that the World’s Tough Mudder challenge he took on last year with his sons and godson Ben was the “biggest physical challenge” of his life.”
He added: “We were doing a five-mile loop with obstacles including mud, water and fire that you kept repeating as a relay over 24 hours. That was pretty dangerous, in terms of what we were putting ourselves through. But to do it with my boys and my godson was amazing.”