Why is Ben Shephard in hospital?
BEN Shephard has revealed he is in hospital. The Good Morning Britain host has been noticeably absent from the ITV breakfast show. Ben is in hospital after suffering a nerve injury during a football match in June 2020. He was playing in the cup final of the Arthur Dunn veterans' cup. He revealed on June 24, 2021, that he was wearing a brace on his leg. He said: "You may remember a few weeks ago I played in the cup final of the Arthur Dunn veterans' cup. "We won the cup final, but I started with two legs and ended with one. "Without realising, I have ruptured my ACL, torn the meniscus and fractured part of my leg as well. "Interestingly, I didn't realise I'd done it quite so bad. I kept playing for 20 or 25 minutes before I thought, 'it feels a little bit unstable, maybe I should stop'. "It turns out I'd severed all the nerves, which is why I couldn't feel any pain, so just sort of carried on playing." He is now having an operation to help fix the injury. The TV presenter faces a lengthy recovery after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, tore his meniscus and fractured his leg during a football match. On July 6, 2021, Ben posted a photo on Instagram showing pen marks made by a surgeon prior to his op, and wrote: "Op happens today! So far so good - arrow is on the correct leg!" He later added: "That's not fake tan by the way, I promise. Despite my Essex roots, I did not fake tan before my surgery. "So they have repaired the ACL and the meniscus, so now starts the rehab, the very slow rehab." Ben, who could be seen in his hospital gown as he said: "I have to say though, the painkillers seem to be doing the job right now." It is unclear when Ben will return to GMB, but Susanna Reid said on July 7, 2021, that he "would be back in the studio soon". Giving his medical opinion on Ben's unfortunate injury, GMB's Dr Hilary Jones said: "That's a nasty injury. "Basically it's the ligament that holds the lower leg on to the upper leg, so it is quite dramatic."