Ben Shephard has sculpted himself into a Grecian statue – but there's something really sexy about a dad bod
There's something deeply sexy about a man who's not counting almonds or swerving dessert like it's a moral failing
ZARA JANJUA Ben Shephard has sculpted himself into a Grecian statue – but there's something really sexy about a dad bod
THIS week, two magazine covers hit the shelves like a kettlebell landing on your foot.
On Men's Health, a newly chiselled 50-year-old Ben Shephard, recreating his topless shoot from 13 years ago.
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Ben Shephard sculpted himself into a Grecian statue to celebrate his half-century
Credit: David Venni / Men's Health UK',
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Davina looks like she just punched mortality in the face
Credit: Mark Cant / Women's Health UK
Over on Women's Health, Davina McCall, 56, swinging from gym rings with all the energy of a human protein shake — just months after brain surgery.
Two aspirational bodies. Two inspirational mindsets. Both clearly proud of what their bodies can still do. And fair enough — they look phenomenal.
Davina looks like she just punched mortality in the face and bounced straight into a plank.
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She's lycra'd to the nines, flinging herself at a Pilates ball like it owes her money. It's not about showing off — it's a message: 'I'm still here, and I'm stronger than ever.'
There's an empire behind that body, and it's built on resilience, dumbbells, and endorphins.
Then there's daytime telly's answer to a protein shake, Ben Shephard, who sculpted himself into a Grecian statue to celebrate his half-century.
He says he did it for himself — to prove he still could. And that's great. Genuinely. But also . . . Ben? Mate? It's your birthday, not the Olympics. Have a flapjack and sit down.
Because here's the twist: turns out women might not actually be that a*sed.
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A few weeks ago, singer Olly Murs revealed his 12-week transformation from relatable dad bod to gym-honed Adonis.
And while the lads cheered him on, the women were thirstier for the 'before' pics. Yes, really.
Beaming Davina McCall reveals she's got all clear from brain tumour after life-saving surgery
The soft, smiley, snuggly version. Not the Marvel audition tape.
So, what do women want? Do we dream of abs you could grate cheese on, or quietly yearn for a body that looks like it's seen a roast dinner?
Let's be honest: abs are impressive. They say: 'I have discipline, control, and a complicated relationship with carbs.' But dad bods say: 'I'll split a sausage roll with you and probably bring you a cuppa after.'
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The dad bod isn't about being unfit — it's about being unbothered. It is someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously.
And there's something deeply sexy about a man who's not counting almonds or swerving dessert like it's a moral failing.
He's not trying to impress, which is exactly why he does. That body says: 'I'm here, I'm comfy, and I can carry all the shopping in one go.' Dreamy.
It's not about what the body looks like — it's about what it means. Confidence. Security. Cuddles. That'll do nicely. So lads, if you're carrying a bit of belly — congratulations. You might just be someone's fantasy.
You're built for Sunday mornings, big spoons and emergency hobnob runs. And honestly? That's a vibe.
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It also makes you wonder, what do men want? Despite what a thousand lads' mags tried to drill into us, most blokes don't want to date a Peloton.
Curves are in. In a 'you look like a real human' kind of way.
We all want different things — and those things can shift with the weather. Sometimes we want someone ripped but most of the time, we're just after someone warm, kind and capable of making toast without a fuss.
So, what do women really want? A six-pack? A squish pack? Something in between?
Depends on the woman. Depends on the week. Depends on whether you washed the dishes and took the bins out because that's really what we want your body to do. Without being asked.
Diddy peers turn backs
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Diddy is the alleged ringleader in a real-life horror show
Credit: AFP
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SEAN 'P Diddy' Combs used to be the pied piper of platinum parties – now he's the alleged ringleader in a real-life horror show that makes Succession look like Bluey.
As details spill – claims of sex- trafficking, racketeering and 'freak-offs' – the silence from his A-list acolytes is deafening.
Michael B. Jordan, Mike Myers, Ye, Usher, Britney . . . suddenly it's 'new phone, who dis?'
Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura's injuries appear to paint a picture of coercive control that's anything but consensual.
Hollywood's collective amnesia? About as convincing as the SNP's Covid WhatsApps – deleted, delayed, denied.
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Sussex series going strong
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle loved up on Instagram
SEVEN years ago, Prince Harry looked at Meghan Markle like she had just invented kindness.
Now, they look at each other like two people who have survived a national psychodrama, Oprah, and a podcast contract.
As the Sussexes mark their seventh wedding anniversary, it's less fairy tale, more prestige limited series – with public opinion swinging harder than a Montecito mood board. Let's recap.
Season One: Royal Wedding – the glossy pilot that launched a thousand hot takes.
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Season Two: Megxit – a departure arc worthy of Succession.
Season Three gave us The Oprah Interview – or as the Palace might call it, The Crown: Live.
Season Four? Californian Rebranding.
Season Five: Spotify and Archetypes (cancelled, like most of our goodwill).
Season Six: Litigation-palooza.
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Now we're in Season Seven: Mutual Love Bombs on Instagram.
Meghan, in a post for Archewell, gushed about 'her love story'.
Harry gazed adoringly at her in a wedding throwback, confirming either enduring love or a very competent PR team.
Say what you like, but they've turned royal exile into a brand proposition with better global recognition than half the actual royals.
And credit where it's due: most celebrity marriages don't last seven years, let alone seven years of exile.
So, good luck to the Sussexes – still together, still trending, and still managing to make their private life astonishingly public.
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Brekkie telly's shrinking morsels
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Lorraine's daytime show has been slashed to 30 minutes
Credit: Getty
ITV has taken an axe to the morning schedule and Lorraine Kelly has found herself on the wrong end of the chop.
Her daytime show has been slashed to 30 minutes and will now be on air for just 30 weeks a year.
Likewise, the Loose Women gang, right, will have less airtime in future.
It's hard not to take these shake-ups personally in the world of TV.
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Bosses call it 'streamlining', or break the news that they've chosen to 'go in a different direction'. But it's all just estate-agent speak to soften the blow when you fall out of favour with the channel head or audiences.
This is not so much a breakfast show as a brekkie nibble – just time to compliment a guest's dress and awkwardly read a sponsored link.
GMB has been extended by half an hour to run until 9.30am and it's only a matter of time before This Morning is reduced to a WhatsApp voice note.
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Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Tom Daley reveals how a savage comment from one of his diving instructors led to him battling body dysmorphia and bulimia
Tom Daley has revealed that his issues with body dysmorphia and bulimia were triggered by a savage comment made by one of his diving instructors. The former Olympic diver, 31, candidly opened up about his struggles with body issues and eating disorders in his new documentary, Tom Daley: 1.6 Seconds. He recalled how a shocking comment made by an instructor led to him obsessing over his weight and food. Tom explained: 'At the end of 2011 I was told that I would have to lose weight by our performance director at British diving, and that I was overweight and that I needed to look slimmer, leaner and more like I did in 2008. 'It was the first time where I felt that I was being looked at and judged not for how I did in the diving pool, but for how I looked. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'I took then some quite drastic measures to make sure that the food did not stay in my stomach let's put it that way.' He candidly went on: 'A rational person would know that I wasn't fat, but that was all that I could think about in the build up to the Olympic Games. I had a diary that I would write in, and at the top of it, I'd write the date and my weight. 'I was kind of left on my own devices, and kind of left with that struggle by myself, because even when I was having these meetings with my sports psychologist, I didn't know how to bring that out, because every time I said it out loud, I knew it felt silly. 'But in my head, it was the biggest thing that I would always think about every day, every time I made a decision about what I was going to eat, if I was going to eat it and then get myself so hungry that I would end up eating so much and bingeing to the point where I was then so guilty that I then had to do something about that.' The gold medallist admitted that he felt 'very alone' and unable to talk to anyone about his struggles, because he felt as though men weren't supposed to have mental health issues. Tom said: 'I still feel like ashamed talking about it now, because, like, once you're on the other side of it, it seems so easy just to stop and ask for help, but when you're in it, you feel like you can't be helped. 'Guys didn't have eating disorders. Guys didn't have any problems with their mental health. 'Guys were meant to be these macho things that get on with anything and you just keep going. I was not that, I didn't know who I could talk to. He previously spoke of his early career struggles ahead of the release of his new Discovery+ documentary, Tom Daley: 1.6 Seconds, in June (pictured in 2008) 'The running theme here is that I felt very alone in all of the things that I was dealing with.' Body dysmorphia is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others, according to the NHS. Bulimia (bulimia nervosa) is an eating disorder and serious mental health condition. according to the NHS. Tom previously reflected on his body issues earlier this year, telling Fashion Magazine: 'I had moments of real struggle. In 2011, my performance director told me that I was overweight and that I needed to look like I did when I was 14 - I was nearly 18 at the time. 'That was the first time I felt like somebody was looking at my body - not from a performance point of view but by what it looked like.' 'I struggled with all kinds of different issues around body dysmorphia and bulimia.' After retiring from diving in 2024, Tom has set his sights on projects including the upcoming knitting show with Channel 4, Game of Wool. The documentary forced him to look back on the good and bad of his Olympic career. The diver said he felt particularly alone as a man suffering from an eating disorder. He added: 'It was not something that men talked about. It was like, 'Well, that only happens to girls. So I felt very alone in that experience.' But while Tom was candid about the darker side of his athletic career, he said he is excited to tell his children about it. Tom shares two children - Robert 'Robbie' and Phoenix Rose - with his husband Lance Black. They welcomed the twins in 2023 via a surrogate. Tom said: 'There's so much archival footage that I've never seen before, so it was very surreal to look back on it. 'It made me very emotional, but I'm really excited to be able to show it to my kids in the future: 'This is what I did as an athlete and what I'm extremely proud of.'' The former diver turned knitting extraordinaire explained that over time, his priorities shifted towards his family. He added: 'By the time the Tokyo Olympics came around [in 2021], I realised I was more than just a diver. 'Between 2016 and 2021, I got married, we had a kid and my priorities shifted.' Touching upon his changing priorities, Tom said that knitting became a healthy distraction for him. He explained: 'During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; we had such severe lockdowns that knitting actually became my superpower. 'It allowed me to really stay present and have a healthy distraction.' WHAT IS BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER? Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others. People of any age can have BDD, but it is most common in teenagers and young adults. It affects both men and women. Having BDD does not mean you are vain or self-obsessed. It can be very upsetting and have a big impact on your life. Symptoms of BDD You might have BDD if you: worry a lot about a specific area of your body (particularly your face) spend a lot of time comparing your looks with other people's look at yourself in mirrors a lot or avoid mirrors altogether go to a lot of effort to conceal flaws – for example, by spending a long time combing your hair, applying make-up or choosing clothes pick at your skin to make it 'smooth' BDD can seriously affect your daily life, including your work, social life and relationships. BDD can also lead to depression, self-harm and even thoughts of suicide. You should visit your GP if you think you might have BDD. If you have relatively mild symptoms of BDD you should be referred for a type of talking therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which you have either on your own or in a group If you have moderate symptoms of BDD you should be offered either CBT or a type of antidepressant medication called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) If you have more severe symptoms of BDD, or other treatments don't work, you should be offered CBT together with an SSRI.
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- The Guardian
Tom Daley looks back: ‘My management said if I came out, I'd lose sponsorship'
Born in Plymouth in 1994, Tom Daley is Britain's most decorated diver. He was 13 when he made history as Britain's youngest competitor at the 2008 Olympics, and the following year became a world champion. He won gold at the Tokyo Olympics with his synchronised diving partner, Matty Lee, before retiring from diving in 2024. He is married to the screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, with whom he has two sons. The documentary, Tom Daley: 1.6 Seconds, is available to stream on Discovery+ from 1 June. I used to be obsessed with wearing tea towels. I'd make sure the fabric was completely lined-up and tucked in neatly. If it was in the slightest bit ruffled or messy, I would get upset and rip it off and try it all over again. This was the beginning of my perfectionism – and possibly the first signs that I might not be 100% straight. My mum says that as a kid, I was very sweet but I knew what I wanted. What did I want? To do the best I could at anything that I tried. That is still my mentality today. If I'm going to try something and it doesn't work out perfectly, I don't have tantrums any more, but I do get frustrated. That's the thing about being an athlete: being good is not enough – you have to be the best. It's not something you can teach, but every athlete who gets to an Olympic level has that same drive. We know our flaws before anybody else can point them out. I was seven when I started diving. I loved the water but found swimming up and down a little bit boring – diving was much more fun. I started out jumping off the side of the pool, then tried the one-metre. The first time I tried the 10-metre platform I was eight years old. I remember crawling to the edge because I was too scared to walk – the board seemed to reduce in size with every step and suddenly looked like a tightrope. I was peering off into the water, thinking: 'There's no way I can jump off this.' But once I was in the air, there was no going back. It was a surreal and euphoric moment – freefalling for 1.6 seconds. As soon as it was over, I knew I wanted to do it again. My childhood was brilliant. I was always outdoors, and we used to go for weekends away in our caravan in Newquay. I felt very safe, loved and cared for. Because I was so happy with my family, I used to hate travelling for competitions – I would get so homesick. It was terrifying to be on the other side of the planet from your parents when you're 10 years old – especially when everyone else competing was much older. I can't imagine how painful it was for my parents to hear their son crying on the end of the phone. My dad Rob was my biggest cheerleader. He would work all day, pick me up from school, take me to the pool and stay all evening until I finished training. He would be there for every competition. We were a team, and it was our dream together. He was great at teaching me about perspective: if I bombed out at a competition, he would say: 'You came 30th, but you're still the 30th best in the world.' When dad died [of a brain tumour in 2011], I went to training the next morning. I carried on competing without a proper break. Maybe it's a British thing, but me and my family wouldn't speak about his passing that much. It's as if we didn't want to upset anyone, or make them feel uncomfortable. I also felt that I had to be the strong one – the person who could support my family. It was only when I met my husband Lance, and he would ask why I didn't speak about my dad, that I allowed myself the space to grieve. And it still hits me now, especially when those major milestones happen. He missed me winning my first Olympic medal, my wedding, my first son's birth. Lance and I met at a dinner in 2013. We talked and talked until we both realised how similar our lives were. He had just lost his brother; I'd lost my dad. He had just won his Oscar; I had just won an Olympic medal. It was the first time I could complain about success to somebody who knew I wasn't really complaining about success. I was complaining about how to deal with what happens on the other side – the pressure and expectations. Knowing that nothing would ever compare to that feeling again. I met Lance in March and came out to the media nine months later. I don't think I would ever have said anything about my private life unless I had met someone like Lance. Once we fell in love, I knew I couldn't keep it a secret. It was absolutely terrifying, posting the video on YouTube, because my management at the time had not been encouraging, and told me that I was going to lose my sponsorship. It was a scary thing to do, but once it was out there I was glad. It took all of the pressure off. I could be me for the first time. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion In 2024, I competed at the Paris Olympics, this time with my sons in tow. Being a dad was still my priority, so I had to deal with running on low sleep. I went to bed at 8 o'clock, because I didn't know how many times I'd be up in the night. I'd wake early for training but would make sure I was home to help Lance with bedtime. I always found it incredibly difficult to leave them for competitions, and I carried a sense of guilt with me. My husband is so supportive, and he's sacrificed a lot for me. But now I've retired, it's his moment. He's like: 'It's my turn to get my career back on track!' I have been an athlete for most of my life, so it's taking time to adjust to my new reality. I am so used to being disciplined that even if I'm out for dinner on a Saturday night, and someone asks if I'd like a glass of wine, it takes me a second to realise I am actually allowed to. Food is the same. When I was about to go to the 2012 Olympics, I was told by a coach that I needed to lose weight. After that, I had some issues with eating disorders. At the time it was something that men didn't really speak about, so I kept it to myself and felt very alone. Once I was able to get the proper nutritional support and learned more about what my body needed, and how to fuel it, then my recovery started to unfold. But in truth, that feedback still affects me today. I know how I can look, and how I did feel, at my peak. Now that I'm not training six hours a day, six days a week, I am never going to be in that same form. When I look at this photo, I think about how innocent I look. The boy in the photo has no sense of what society thinks is right or wrong. I could live and be happy and free. I am so glad my parents were the kind of people who celebrated whoever I was; an Olympian diver or a boy who liked to wear tea towels around his waist.
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE ITV star handed huge pay rise buys £3.5million 10-bedroom mansion... but there's a catch
Ben Shephard has splashed out £3.5million on a gorgeous new home that was formerly the official residence of a bishop. While a number of ITV 's daytime stars may be considering downsizing in the wake of slashed budgets and job losses, Shephard, 50, is moving up in the world. The TV presenter purchased the huge new property in an idyllic riverside setting in west London after upgrading from his former home nearby. But there's a hitch that comes with his dream home which has left Ben in something of a pickle: despite its size there is no driveway or back access and the only way in is throught a small front gate. And this is going to make doing any building work to modernise the Grade II listed building difficult to arrange. A source said: 'It's an absolutely beautiful house. But the layout means that if he wants to do any substantive works to alter it - and it does need updating - then he will have problems getting larger materials or the machinery in. 'The only way in is via a relatively tiny front gate and as it's listed he's going to struggle to change the layout to alter that. 'So good luck to his architect and builder! 'I suspect that's why it needs updating - because it's so difficult to find a way to manage it. 'But that headache aside, Ben and Annie are thrilled with it.' 'It's the only blot on the horizon for them on what is otherwise their dream home so he's hoping to find some solution.' Shephard was handed a big pay rise when he teamed up with Cat Deeley last year to take over as hosts of This Morning - replacing longtime presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. The pair are reportedly each earning around £550,000-a-year to present the programme four days a week. Now it appears Shephard - who is estimated to be worth around £3.6 million - is investing some of the cash in his new pad. The move is said to have been overseen by wife Annie, a design consultant specialising in interiors and gardens. She spent a year lovingly transforming the couple's former home in Richmond into a stunning dream house. And the couple may see their new house as something of 'a project'. There's plenty of scope to re-style the somewhat staid interiors of the former ecclesiastical residence where a number of rooms downstairs were used as offices and formal reception rooms. After it went on the market, estate agents were singing the praises of the 'iconic house' which is described as being in an 'unrivalled setting'. But hinting that there was work to be done, they added that it was 'waiting to be transformed into a wonderful family home'. The large detached property, which is thought to be 300 years old, was originally the home of Thomas Twining, who made his fortune in the tea trade after setting up his first tea house in 1706 in Devereux Court near the Strand in London. It remained the family home for seven generations until artist and social reformer Elizabeth Twining bequeathed the property to the church after her death in 1889. The house was used as a rather grand vicarage before going on to become the offices and residence for a bishop. The 10-bedroomed property, which is located in a riverside conservation area, comprises almost 6,000 square feet of accommodation. Good morning Britain: where the breakfast TV star will have his own breakfast Estate agents highlighted how it offered buyers 'an exceptional opportunity' after coming on the market 'for the first time in three centuries'. The property is set close to the River Thames with a large Grade ll-listed church on one side and an historic park and gardens on the other. The location is said to have once been 'favoured by royalty for summer retreats'. The house is described as having 'an elegant period façade with an ornate entrance canopy and unique sundial feature' above the front door. Inside, the property has retained much of the original period detailing with 'superb ceiling heights, fireplaces and a magnificent entrance hall and wood carved staircase'. Downstairs, while most of the rooms had been configured as office and reception rooms, there's also a living room, dining room, kitchen and utility room. There are six bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor while a second floor annexe features three further bedrooms and another room which had been turned into an office. According to a glossy estate agent's brochure the gardens at the property 'wrap around three sides of the house and offer scope, with landscaping, to create a fabulous outdoor amenity'. The brochure added the sale offered 'an exceptionally rare opportunity to create a truly unique and impressive family home in a superb location'. It added: 'With its stunning riverside location, rich history, and excellent connectivity, this property offers a unique blend of past and present, making it a home that truly stands out from the ordinary.' The only downside of the property is that its close proximity to the church and graveyard with a footpath running between them means there's no car parking space and limited access to its back door. A source close to Shephard - who also presents ITV quiz show Tipping Point and Ninja Warrior UK - said: 'Even the removal van got stuck as everyone has to come to the front. 'Because the rear of the house lies close to the church pathway we have to use the front as the main access to the house.' Annie appears to have already set to work on the property and this week took delivery of three large packages brought to the house in a courier van. Shephard met Annie while they were both studying at the University of Birmingham in 1995. Setting out to be an actor, Shephard achieved a BA honours degree in Dance, Drama and Theatre Arts while Annie studied Philosophy. The couple who married in Burgh Island off the coast of Devon in 2004 have two sons - Jack, 19, and Sam, 18. Essex-born Shephard went on to forge a successful career in TV - hosting some of Britain's best loved shows including working as a main anchor on Good Morning Britain. He once made a cameo appearance in an episode of US hit TV comedy Friends where he was credited as 'Man with Microphone'. Meanwhile Annie worked for fashion and interior design magazines working her way to advertising manager while hosting 'glamorous parties, fabulous conferences' and award events. After becoming a mum Annie - who describes herself as 'a welly wearing veg grower' - combined raising her children over 18 years with 'knocking down and remodelling houses and running big renovation projects'. She once wrote on her website: 'I've studied hard and taken excellent courses, so I've learned both the theory of design and I've also learned the hard way, by creating from the ground up, wellies on and spade in hand. 'After a few mistakes and a few more successes, my friends started to ask for help with their own interiors and gardens.' In 201,6 the couple bought their home in Richmond and Shephard occasionally shared photos on social media of his family life away from the limelight. Images posted during Covid lockdown at their previous home showed off their spectacular sprawling gardens which came complete with 'gin bench', fire pit and rose-filled archways. The garden also featured an immaculate lawn, bronze sculptures and an area where the family grew their own vegetables. Last week Shephard proved that away from the studio he's no sofa slouch as he showed off his incredible physique on the front cover of Men's Health magazine. Shephard told how he keeps in shape trying to keep up with his sons in workouts. He said: 'I've really, really enjoyed proving to my 18-year-old and 19-year-old sons that I can still compete with them. We love training together.' Shephard said his biggest challenge was coping with the endless supply of pastries, treats and calorific meals cooked up by TV chefs on This Morning.
