Good Morning Britain has been practicing for the Queen’s death for years, presenter Ben Shephard has revealed.
Buckingham Palace confirmed last Thursday that the late monarch died peacefully at Balmoral aged 96. Her funeral will take place on Monday, September 19, which will be a national bank holiday.
During Monday’s special edition of Good Morning Britain, Ben reflected on the moment that new desks across the globe announced the Queen’s death while sharing measures had been in place for the show for some time.
Speaking to guest and fellow journalist Andrew Marr, who interrupted his own radio show to tearfully announce the news, he said: ‘It’s gripping to listen to because of course you’re doing what great broadcasters do and you’re talking about something that you can feel is coming but you don’t know when it’s going to happen.’
‘And clearly, the information comes through while you’re live, while you’re talking. And then you have to interrupt yourself.’
Turning his attention to Good Morning Britain’s preparations, Shephard continued: ‘All of us here at various times over the last 10/15 years have prepared for this, have rehearsed for this moment.
‘You’ll do rehearsals, you’ll plan what’s going to happen; there’s a protocol about it all. But the reality of that moment for all of us has struck really, really hard.’
Marr agreed and added that although it wasn’t a surprise that the Queen had died, it was still a shocking moment.
‘I think because we’ve lived all our lives with the Queen as part of the backdrop,’ he said.
‘She’s always been there. It’s like part of the landscape has suddenly been removed.’
Shephard’s admission comes days after Alastair Campbell claimed BBC newsreader Huw Edwards prepared for the event of announcing the Queen’s death on the news, including ‘rehearsing in front of his bathroom mirror’.
Having received high praise for his coverage, Edwards is said to have been planning for this moment ‘for some time’, broadcaster Campbell said.
In a tweet shared last week, Campbell wrote that Edwards ‘told me a few months ago he had been preparing, practising and even rehearsing in front of his bathroom mirror for this moment for some time.
‘He said too that the Queen’s death would be the biggest challenge to @BBCNews in its history.’
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.
