Good Morning Britain fans were left emotional on Thursday as beloved presenter Ben Shephard made a touching return to the ITV show.
The morning programme saw hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley welcome Pride Of Britain’s young hero Jacob Newson, who has remarkably raised over £160,000 in memory of his late mum, the Express reports.
Unbeknownst to Jacob, a regular viewer of This Morning and fan of Ben Shephard, the GMB team had planned a sweet surprise for him during his visit. Ben soon emerged, surprising Jacob with his appearance and delivering an exclusive message from the lad’s favourite football team, leading to tears of joy.
An elated Susanna greeted Ben’s return, exclaiming, “Lovely to see you back!” Ben himself felt a wave of nostalgia, admitting: “Gosh, it’s funny being back!”
Never one to miss a chance for a joke, co-host Richard asked: “Fancy taking over Ben?” Moved by the heartwarming scene, viewers also shared their feelings on Twitter, with tweets like: “#GMB What an amazing inspiring young man. I cannot stop crying #prideofbritain @GMB.”
Others revealed their tearful morning, with tweets such as: “Oh god, I’m crying at 7.45am, his reaction to being a mascot at Leeds #GMB”, and “It’s a while since @benshephard has made me cry on @GMB #GMB #Jacob #PrideofBritainAwards.”
Following the heartfelt news, Jacob revealed how his mother would probably be “filling heaven up” with her tears after he received a poignant honour this week for his charitable efforts made in her cherished memory. Jacob was just seven when his world turned upside down as his mother, Andrea, succumbed to breast cancer in December 2020 at the age of just 49.
Inspired to keep her spirit alive, Jacob, together with his dad Andrew, embarked on numerous fundraising crusades both at home and abroad, collectively raising over £160,000 for St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds, which provided care for his mother, and for the Royal Air Force (RAF) Benevolent Fund, supporting RAF personnel and their families.
Known affectionately as Jacob the Pilot for his love of flying and aircraft, the spirited youngster has recently been celebrated with an accolade presented at the 25th Pride of Britain Awards, where he was crowned the Good Morning Britain Young Fundraiser of the Year.
The adventurous duo have not shied away from challenges; they’ve ascended Ben Nevis, taken on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, and even conquered Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa located in Morocco. Their latest exploit saw them navigate a four-day trek across the Pyrenees in August, venturing from France into Spain.
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