'Ben Shephard reveals he severed his nerves in horrific football injury - as Susanna Reid playfully pokes fun at his 'Robocop' leg brace

By Gabriella Ferlita For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Ben Shephard has revealed he suffered nerve damage in his leg whilst playing football – and carried on playing for a further 25 minutes.

Speaking on Thursday's episode of Good Morning Britain, the presenter, 46, opened up about the 'dramatic' moment he was injured earlier this month. 

However, he didn't receive too much sympathy from his co-host Susanna Reid, 50, who was left giggling at the bulky leg brace Ben wore backstage, quipping: 'I wish I'd taken a photograph in my dressing room this morning'. 

Man down: Ben Shepard, 46, opened up about the 'dramatic' moment he suffered damage in his leg whilst playing football at the  cup final of the Arthur Dunn veterans cup

Man down: Ben Shepard, 46, opened up about the 'dramatic' moment he suffered damage in his leg whilst playing football at the  cup final of the Arthur Dunn veterans cup

Susanna continued: 'Ben came in with quite the "get up" on his leg. It's a sort of holding device…'

Discussing his injury, Ben 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.'

Shock horror: Susanna Reid (right) spotted her Good Morning Britain co-presenter wearing a leg brace backstage

Shock horror: Susanna Reid (right) spotted her Good Morning Britain co-presenter wearing a leg brace backstage

The presenter added: 'I have ruptured my ACL, torn the meniscus and fractured part of my leg as well'.

'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.'

Giving his expert advice on the show about Ben's leg injury, Dr Hilary Jones commented: 'That's a nasty injury.'

Poking fun: The co-host wished she'd  ‘taken a photograph in my dressing room this morning' of Ben in his brace

Poking fun: The co-host wished she'd  'taken a photograph in my dressing room this morning' of Ben in his brace

Jones described the ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) as 'the ligament that holds the lower leg onto the upper leg,' remarking that the injury 'is quite dramatic'.

'It was flapping about a bit,' Ben recalled, as he described the brace he must wear as 'a sort of Robocop look'.

Dr Hilary admitted: 'It's not a great look.'

The presenter has a long recovery ahead for his ACL, which 'can take up to a year' according to NHS England.

WHAT IS AN ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT (ACL) INJURY?


An ACL injury is a tear or sprain in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

The injury usually occurs during sport that involves sudden stops, change in direction, and jumping and landing, such as football or basketball.

ACL tears are common among young athletes, with 200,000 injuries occurring every year in the US, according to the journal The Physician and Sports medicine.

The injury's prevalence in the UK is unknown.

Many people hear a 'pop' coming from their knee when the injury occurs. 

ACL injuries raise a person's risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee, even if they have surgery to reconstruct the ligament.

Depending on the severity of the injury, treatment may involve rest and rehabilitation exercises. 

Source: Mayo Clinic

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Susanna Reid playfully teases Ben Shephard's 'Robocop' leg brace as GMB host battles nerve damage

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