Ben Shephard has marked 22 years since he proposed to his wife Annie with a sweet throwback photo of the couple. The This Morning star revealed, at the same time, her shock response to his asking her to marry him.
Posting to Instagram, Ben, 51, shared a snap of the couple on what appeared to be a winter country walk in the early days of their courtship. Captioning the image, he wrote: "So 22 years ago today @mrsannieshephard said 'oh go on then', and that was that!
"It might have taken me nine years to realise it and to ask her to marry me but she's still the best thing to happen to me." His heartfelt tribute has received more than 37,000 'likes', with many of Ben's fellow stars rushing to comment.
That included his This Morning co-host Cat Deeley, who wrote: "The Marvelous Mrs Sheps." Meanwhile, Fearne Cotton, Rochelle Humes and Jimmy Doherty left a string of congratulatory emojis. Joel Dommet added: "This is THE BEST."
© @benshephardofficial / InstagramBen, who first met Annie after meeting as students at the University of Birmingham, popped the question in Paris. The couple got married in 2004 in Salcombe, Devon, and now share sons Sam, 21, and Jack, 19.
In January, he told the Daily Mail: "Annie was with me way before I got into telly. She has been through everything with me, the highs and lows. She's exceptionally patient. And I'm very patient with new shoes. What I really think is that we were great mates when we got together."
© PA Images via Getty ImagesHe added: "Annie has been brilliant at allowing me the space to go off and do the job I do. She's been the most important factor in our lives as a family; this amazing influence who created the home for our boys to become who they are and certainly made me better at being a dad."
While Ben rose to fame presenting the likes of Tipping Point and Good Morning Britain, Annie has focused on being a garden and interior designer. She regularly shares her work for the former on a dedicated Instagram account - including a peek at their own backyard.
