Ben Shephard is one of the many stars taking part in a poetry competition - with this year's theme centred on ambition. Taking to his Twitter page, the Good Morning Britain host read out his own poem for the Premier League Writing Stars poetry competition. Entitled For as long as I can remember, the 45-year-old talks about wanting to marry his wife Annie Perks and fulfilling his dream of becoming a dad. "For as long as I can remember, I wanted to go on a date, I wanted to hold a hand, maybe share a kiss. To not just be her mate," one verse reads.
WATCH: Ben Shephard reads out poem titled For as long as I can remember
Of his wife of nearly 16 years, Ben explains: "For as long as I can remember, I know she wanted a ring. The big day, the big dress, the big party. And she was right, it was the best ever thing." He adds: "For as long as I can remember. I wanted someone to call me dad. To play and chase a football with. To take to see West Ham wouldn't be bad." Watch the video above to hear the full poem.
MORE: Ben Shephard enjoys sweet date night with wife Annie
Ben and Annie were an item for nine years before they got married in 2004. They have since welcomed two sons called Jack and Sam, with the Tipping Point presenter often sharing sweet family insights from their life at home. Later this month, Ben and Annie will celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary.
© Photo: InstagramThe couple married in 2004 after nine years of dating
Last month, Ben opened up about the moment he proposed, revealing how he whisked his then-girlfriend Annie off to Paris - but it was his hectic work schedule that left him feeling very tired. "I really screwed up," he explained. "I eventually did propose to her in Paris. She knew I was going to propose, I had a ring and all that stuff."
MORE: Take a look inside Ben Shephard's house
"I'd been doing a lot of early shifts on GMTV at the time," he added. "We went out in the afternoon, and I said, 'Let's have a little sleep before we go out to dinner.' I woke up about three in the morning and sat bolt upright and said, 'Did we go out for dinner?' She just looked at me, shook her head and said 'No.'" Looking regretful, he added: "I had to do it the next day and it was so pressurised. It was awful."
For more details on how to enter, head to PLPrimaryStars.com/WritingStars
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