Ben Shephard reveals the secret to his new six-pack and why it's causing tension at home

’s new six pack wasn’t always a firm favourite with his wife, as it threatened to damage their mealtimes together. Much-loved host Ben, 50, has been married to Annie for 21 years.

And after his birthday milestone he is in the shape of his life, posing for same magazine cover he last fronted in 2012 with abs on show many men twenty years younger would be proud of.

Asked for the secrets behind his toned look, Ben tells Men’s Health UK: “Abs really are made in the kitchen. I became aware of it when I went through this [the cover shoot] in 2012!

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“My wife does most of the cooking, and I’m turning around saying, ‘I’ve got to have enough protein.’ We came up with an agreement that I would get what I needed in terms of protein during the day so I could enjoy our dinners. You can leave stuff out that you don’t necessarily want, but we still want to share that moment in the evening.”

There is also no sign of Ben feeling sorry for himself about turning 50 but he is a man on a mission wanting to make the most of life.

He adds: “I’m much more conscious of the fact that I’ve probably got less time ahead of me than I have behind me – that’s the reality of it. I was working with [fellow presenter] last week and when she turned 50, someone said to her, ‘Welcome to the fifth floor.’ That felt like a lovely way of describing it – you’re still looking up to those other floors, but looking down as well.”

Ben is a keen runner and also spends time in the gym when he is not fronting shows including This Morning and Tipping Point. One source of inspiration has been training and trying to keep up with his sons Jack and Sam.

“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. And when they say I look like I’ve trained hard... they’ve been really inspired by that, particularly my eldest, Sam.”

He adds: “I think I value the condition I’m in now more than in 2012. I’ve got more lean muscle, that’s for sure. There are parts of my body that are bigger. I think my body fat is a little bit higher than it was then. Back then it was probably single figures and I think I’m about 10.5% to 10.8% now – which is extraordinary when you think I’m 13 years older.

“Recreating the cover shoot has been fantastic. A friend asked me what the one exercise was that made the biggest difference. It’s not an exercise, it’s consistency.”

Ben insists over the years he has built up a “deeper understanding” of what has to put himself through to build lean muscle and reduce body fat.

He said: “To get stronger, physically and mentally, is definitely harder the older you get. In my forties, I was still on the attack. In my fifties, I’m on the defensive. It’s all about how I prolong things now – not going out and smashing it left, right and centre.

"Poving to yourself you have the discipline to do something, proving you can be accountable to yourself is incredibly seductive and infectious. The more you get of that, the more you want it.”

He also insists he wants to stay in shape and hopes he could do another six pack shoot when he turns 60.

“There are loads of fitness influencers that aren’t just in their twenties and thirties, but in their fifties, sixties and seventies – still doing it, still living, still owning it, still looking fantastic. I find that incredibly inspiring. There might be a bit more grey in the hair now, but the hairline is still there. So why not do it again at 60?”

The full interview is available in the June issue of Men’s Health UK, on sale now.

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