Ben Shephard was left gobsmacked when a guest on This Morning quizzed him on the rules of his ITV game show Tipping Point – but the presenter was quick to defend it

Ben Shephard hit back with a steadfast reaction on This Morning when a guest dared to challenge the strict rules of the beloved ITV game show Tipping Point.

At 49, Ben has been the face of Tipping Point since its inception in 2012. Fans are captivated by the thrilling spectacle which involves contestants vying for a sizable cash jackpot while fending off the competitive machine, although not all take home the spoils.

The engaging episode on Monday saw Ben joined by co-host Cat Deeley and two guests who have made names for themselves as celebrity impersonators: Lee Lard channels comedian Peter Kay, and Stewart Nicol adopts the persona of Billy Connolly.

Banter flowed freely during the interview as they delved into the quirky details of their career choices. A humorous exchange arose when Lee quipped about taking up impersonation to avoid proper work – a comment that drew chuckles from around the set.

Lee then cheekily put forward to Ben: “And now we’re friends, can you fast track me onto Tipping Point?” Bursting into laughter, Ben readily agreed, only to be cut short by an abrupt query from Stewart, reports the Daily Star.

Ben Shephard hits back as guest challenges Tipping Point’s prize policy (Image: (Image: ITV))

Stewart asked: “Why is it that runners-up never get to keep what they’ve earned?” which caught Ben off guard.

However, he stood his ground staunchly in defence of Tipping Point’s rules, asserting: “Because, where’s the jeopardy if you give the money to the runner-up as well? !”

Amidst the ensuing clamour, Ben forcefully added one more line to make his stance crystal clear: “By the way, it’s not my money!”

Stewart caused a stir on the show as he recounted his career to hosts Ben and Cat, leading him to mention a sketch on MTV where he played the father of the bride, alongside bridesmaids from Babestation.

He probed the presenters: “There was this thing on MTV and I was playing the father of the bride and two bridesmaids that was on Babestation. I don’t know if you’ve heard of Babestation?”

Lee chimed in with a teasing remark aimed at Ben, quipping: “Ben’s heard of that!” Confused, Cat naturally enquired about it, to which Ben hastily deflected: “We’ll tell you afterwards.”

Lee Lard and Stewart Nicol caused chaos when they appeared on This Morning (Image: ITV)
Stewart humorously added: “Babestation I’ve never seen it. I believe it’s on station 236.”

The audience shared mixed reactions online following the live segment. One viewer commented: “This is brutal TV.”

Meanwhile, another threw in a cheeky comment: “There’s a nice Babestation plug there,” and a third expressed their surprise: “Did you just say Babestation? ! ” In stark contrast, someone else opted for brevity, simply stating: “Babestation. Bl**dy hell.”

However, instead of focussing solely on the Babestation reference, other viewers were more captivated by Lee and Stewart’s physical transformations, noting how the pair are scarcely recognisable as the iconic comedians they impersonate.