He’s become a regular fixture on so many shows

TV presenter Ben Shepard has announced he will be not be back on one his shows when it returns next season to spend more time with his family.

As he celebrates 20 years on TV, the breakfast TV host has announced he will not be back on Goals on Sunday when it returns next season, after nine years hosting the Sky Sports show.

As well as his hit show Tipping Point, which has passed 1,000 episodes, the 44-year-old is still a TV favourite on Good Morning Britain and Saturday night’s Ninja Warrior UK is on its fifth series.

Family man Ben, who this year ­celebrated 15 years of marriage to wife Annie, told the Mirror: “My boys are at an age when they need me around, perhaps even more now than when they were younger.

“I was on GMTV every weekday while they were growing up. It meant I could go to their after-school matches, but I would have to be in bed by 7pm.

“It got to the point when it was they who tucked me up and read me a story, not the other way round.

“Now they’re teenagers, Sam is taller than me and Jack is not far behind, which I’m trying to come to terms with. They’re consumed by schoolwork all week, the weekend is the only time I can spend with them.” 

Ben said he had recently had to miss his sons’ sport matches.

He continued: “Jack got upset recently because I haven’t been able to go to his cricket matches. We had conversations and I reassured him it would soon be over.

“Both have football and rugby on Sunday mornings, which I’ve never been able to go to because of work.

“What tends to happen is that after doing the breakfast show on Thursdays and ­Fridays, Saturday comes and I’m shattered.

“I often work six days a week, filming Tipping Point in Bristol from Monday to Wednesday.

“So Saturday is the only day I get to spend with the boys and because I’m tired it’s often a washout.

“Doing Goals on Sunday has been amazing, but I can see that not only will we all benefit as a family but I’ll benefit too from being more involved in their weekend life.

“If there are things we can share, football, cricket, golf, these are days that I will be able to cherish for a long, long time.”

Another reason for his change of focus, Ben reveals, has been his father’s recent ill health.

He said: “My dad was a City accountant who never had the time to come to my football matches, and I know that is something he’ll never be able to get back.

“He’s been quite ill this year, it sort of came out of nowhere and took us by surprise.

“So we’ve all taken a minute to say, you know, we won’t get to the end of our lives and wish we’d worked more.