This Morning host Ben Shephard was seen fighting back tears as he opened up on Ricky Hatton’s tragic death live on This Morning.
The presenter, 50, got emotional as he spoke about knowing the British boxing legend during the news segment of the ITV show, which saw him and Cat Deeley discuss the boxer’s death on Sunday with regular show contributor Gyles Brandreth.
Ben told viewers: ‘I was lucky enough to spend some time with Ricky over the years, I had a Sport Relief bout back in 2008 against Lemar, and Ricky was my mentor and my coach.
‘He’d been a hero of mine for years, I loved my boxing and no one fought like Ricky Hatton, he fought like an absolute lion and was so humble, he wore his heart on his sleeve.
‘To go to his gym and train with him and meet his team, and he was just so generous with his time and his humour and his energy, he was so down to earth.
‘I was able to spend some time with him over the years during Soccer Aid and I’ve interviewed him a number of times and he was always such a fabulous person to be around.
Ben Shephard was seen fighting back tears as he opened up on Ricky Hatton’s tragic death live on This Morning
Former World Champion boxer Ricky was found dead at his home on Sunday morning at the age of 46
‘To think that he’s no longer with us is absolutely heartbreaking.
‘He didn’t care who you were, he just wanted to spend time and loved being around people’.
Ben went on to blink away tears and take a moment to sigh before moving on to introducing the phone-in guest, Chris Eubank Sr.
Ben and co-host Cat, 48, listened as Chris, 59, opened up on his friendship with the boxer before offering an emotional message to Ricky’s children, Campbell, Millie and Fearne.
Chris said: ‘I mean what can I say, it’s a great loss for boxing. You have a man on him who carried the nation for a while in terms of pride and standards.
‘In terms of boxing, he was a tremendous fighter.
‘I knew him as a lovely, happy go lucky, jocular, fun, man of the people.
‘Millie, Fearne and Campbell you should be proud of your father. The shoes he walked in, you never know how hard it is to walk in those shoes.
Chris Eubank Sr joined on the phone lines to issue a message to Ricky’s three children while heaping praise on his boxing pal’s career
Chris offered up emotional words to Ricky’s three children, who included son Campbell (pictured) and daughters Fearne and Millie
‘That man, it’s tremendous what he did, for where he came from, for who he is, tremendous.’
Chris went on to encourage promoters and fight organisers to take care of their athletes.
He continued: ‘You make world champion and you become a standard bearer for the people, you have people who look up to you and follow you.
‘Becoming world champion, fighters are not trained to become public figures and I think we need to look at having a back-up system for fighters in many respects.
‘It’s a tremendous amount of pressure that goes upon a man who wins the world championship, where the entire world, especially the country are looking at him and what he stands for.
‘All you promoters, all you broadcasters, please look after the fighters. It is a vocation unlike any other, a punch in a ring, it hurts, brain damage happens.
‘We have to find a way to look after fighters when they retire.’
Former World Champion boxer Ricky was found dead at his home on Sunday morning at the age of 46.
Ben got emotional as he recalled the time he and Ricky had worked together
This Morning paid tribute to the boxer with a segment live on air
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: ‘Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45am today where they found the body of a 46-year-old man. There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.’
Nicknamed ‘the Hitman’, Hatton was an aggressive and brave fighter who held multiple world and UK titles between 1997 and 2012 – including the night he toppled Russia’s Kostya Tszyu to go from underdog to boxing sensation overnight.
The Daily Mail understands that friends were initially concerned when Hatton failed to appear at a fight in Bolton involving one of his boxers, believed to be Jack Murphy, after also missing his gym session on Friday.
After retiring from the ring, he had moved into coaching but was due to return to the sport with a fight planned in Dubai in December.
Hatton, who was awarded an MBE for services to sport in 2007, had often spoken of his struggles with mental health and drug addiction.
But his good friend, boxing pundit Steve Bunce, today revealed he ‘was in a really good place’ after ‘facing, attacking and solving’ his addictions.
A huge Manchester City supporter, Hatton was due to be at the Etihad Stadium for this afternoon’s derby with Manchester United, and had a table in a corporate hospitality area.
His beloved club held a minute’s applause and both sides are wearing black armbands in memory of the fighter.
