BEN SHEPHARD ISSUES WARNING TO SON AFTER BATTLING FAMILY DILEMMA

Ben Shephard has confessed that a tricky family situation led him to issue a stern warning to one of his sons. The 51-year-old TV presenter was a guest on the Pack Your Bags with Russell Kane podcast when a listener submitted their family quandary.

The issue revolved around their son bringing his first girlfriend on holiday with them, and the listener sought advice on how to make her feel part of the family getaway. In response, Ben revealed he could relate to the situation as his own sons, aged 18 and 20 at the time of recording, were navigating the early stages of romantic relationships.

Ben shared: "We've had a couple of moments like this with our two boys. And we've had a couple of moments like this...they're 20 and 18." He advised the listener to communicate with their son and understand the girlfriend's preferences, ensuring she feels comfortable and included in the holiday plans.

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Ben added: "Most of the time, I think if a son's bringing on a girlfriend, they just want to muck in. I'd like to think that. So, I would never treat any of the girls that have come on holiday with us any differently."

Ben then recalled an instance where he felt compelled to caution one of his sons who had brought his girlfriend along on a family holiday. He recalled: "We had a moment on a holiday a few years back, where my eldest son had his girlfriend and they were staying together, and his brother was much younger, and my godson was with us as well.

"And we basically said to our eldest, 'Look, just be conscious because your brother's younger than you, and my godson's even younger as well. We don't want them to get the wrong impression. So, don't necessarily spend all your time in the bedroom with your girlfriend, come out and be with the others. So that doesn't become a thing'."

Ben added: "And literally, the first morning, I went downstairs and all of them were in bed together, like just messing around and chatting and stuff. And you suddenly realise, actually, we must, I think as parents, we massively overthink it.

"As long as you've spoken, I think, as long as you've spoken to the parents of the partner, and everybody understands what they would like it to be like, what everyone's accepting it to be like, then you can trust the kids."

Ben returns to television screens this evening with his latest programme The Summit, on ITV at 9pm.

2026-02-10T10:28:34Z