Ben Shephard, 48, discovered the iconic actress Dame Judi Dench was a big fan of his game show in an unexpected way. Unbeknownst to the media personality, the Dame had been using his dressing room while filming with Graham Norton and left him a thank you gift.
Ben’s fingerprint on British entertainment is undeniable as the presenter has ventured into countless shows, hosting positions, and even a handful of acting and producing roles.
Two of his roles collided when Dame Judi Dench appeared on the Graham Norton Show, as he told Gaby Roslin on her podcast.
At the time, Ben was doing a hosting stint on Good Morning Britain, which is filmed in the same studios as the iconic entertainment chat show.
He explained that the GMB dressing rooms were quite unique in the old BBC building.
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Being quite near to the doors, his dressing room was more easily accessible than most others, and on the same floor as the studios.
Little did the unsuspecting presenter know, he was sharing his dressing room with acting royalty.
Ben recalled: “The Friday morning I went in and there was a Dame Judi Dench picture on my desk in my dressing room.
“She had found out that she was in my dressing room and she signed a picture, a Dame Judi Dench picture.
“It said: ‘Dear Ben, thank you for letting me have your dressing room, just to say we absolutely love Tipping Point’. And left it right there.
“I was like, is this a joke? Why have I got a signed Dame Judi Dench picture?”
Ben gushed over the sweet gesture saying it was a “really lovely thing” that she “didn’t have to do”.
He also heartwarmingly branded the moment “the most wonderful experience I had”.
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Podcast host Gaby recalled when she interviewed Dame Judi, the actress went on about how much she adored Ben and Tipping Point.
Gaby herself had been a contestant on the game show and won herself a Tipping Point flannel.
In another sweet gesture, she gave the flannel to the Dame after finding out about her love for the show.
The Tipping Point host joked that it was better to share than the “soap on a rope” prize.
Ben revelled in the fact that the quintessential game show, Tipping Point, has lasted far longer than anyone anticipated.
The show has officially been running for over a decade, having first aired in June 2012.
Ben revealed that he “didn’t know back then” what a phenomenon it would become, and said it was a “great privilege” to still be hosting a show with such cultural and social impact.
He noted that his presenting skills come from his genuine curiosity in people and their stories, saying simply: “I’m intrigued.”
Ben claimed he’s “much more interested” in other people’s opinions and views, until it comes to West Ham he joked.
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