Ben Shephard taking break from 'GMB' to film socially distanced 'Tipping Point'

Ben Shephard has announced he will be taking time off from Good Morning Britain to film quiz show Tipping Point.

The 45-year-old has been filling in on the breakfast programme while Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan take their summer holiday but from today (Wednesday 5 August) he'll be absent for some time too.

His co-star Kate Garraway told viewers it was Shephard's "last day" before he explained it was the "peak time" to be working on the ITV daytime quiz.

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"Tipping Point is back at it. Back in the studio, we are all back at it, it is all socially distanced, so the set has had to change to make sure everybody's OK.

"I am not going to be here but I am not going on a holiday. I am going to be working but not in the studio," he clarified.

It is not yet clear who will replace Shephard, but regular relief presenters for the news show include Charlotte Hawkins, Ranvir Singh and Adil Ray.

Garraway only recently returned to her presenting role, having taken time off after husband Derek Draper’s hospitalisation.

Meanwhile, filming for Tipping Point had to be suspended in March due to the coronavirus.

At the time, Shephard explained: "We’ve been in the studio filming the new series of Tipping Point down in Bristol and we were doing that all of this week.

"Sadly that’s had to be suspended now. Clearly there are guidelines in place which we’ve been adhering to, it’s a very big studio, it’s been very difficult."

The game sees contestants answer questions put to them by Shephard to win counters to put into a huge coin-pusher machine in the hopes of earning a cash prize.