Ben Shephard was left in tears during a particularly emotional edition of Tipping Point after his Good Morning Britain colleague Laura Tobin won a £20,000 jackpot for a charity close to her heart.
The special Tipping Point: Lucky Stars episode featured Laura alongside Tito Jackson and Faye Brookes, with the GMB meteorologist making it all the way to the final round.
With Ben cheering her on, Laura entered the final with a clear idea of where she wanted to place the jackpot counter.
She then answered three questions correctly, giving herself the chance to send the crucial counter through the machine.
Laura Tobin Wins the £20,000 Jackpot
After a tense final, Laura successfully knocked the jackpot counter out of the machine.
The moment immediately became overwhelming for both Laura and Ben.
The pair embraced, with tears streaming down their faces as they celebrated the £20,000 prize.
“Look at us,” Ben said through the emotion as he wiped away his tears.
Laura could barely contain herself either, admitting: “I’m speechless!”
But there was an important reason the victory meant so much to them.
“There’s a reason we’re crying of course because the £20,000 is going to a very special charity isn’t it?” Ben explained.
Laura then revealed why she had chosen the charity.
The Heartbreaking Reason Behind Laura’s Charity Choice
Laura explained that her daughter Charlotte had been born extremely prematurely, arriving three months early.
She said Charlotte had been cared for in the Buscot Ward at Reading Hospital, where she and her family received support during an incredibly difficult period.
The charity Laura was playing for was BIBS, or Babies in Buscot, which supports babies, children and their families connected with the neonatal unit.
“It’s going to a very special charity,” Laura said. “My daughter Charlotte, who’s beautiful, was born very premature three months early and she was looked after in the Buscot Ward at Reading hospital.”
She went on to explain that BIBS supports not only premature babies but also their families and relatives.
“Any money for them is fantastic because they’re such a small charity,” Laura added.
She also revealed that the £20,000 prize could help fund an incubator for another premature baby.
Baby Charlotte Joins the Celebration
The emotional moment became even more special when Ben revealed that they had been keeping quiet for a reason.
They were waiting to bring Charlotte onto the Tipping Point set so she could celebrate the win with her mother.
The little girl appeared on set and looked around curiously as Laura proudly revealed that she was now healthy despite having been born so early.
For Laura, the victory was therefore about much more than winning money on a game show. It was an opportunity to give something back to the charity that had supported her family.
Viewers Were Left in Tears Too
The emotional scenes quickly affected viewers watching at home, with many taking to social media to admit that they had been crying along with Laura and Ben.
One viewer wrote that they had “just cried” with the pair and were delighted to see Laura win.
Another praised the episode as “absolutely brilliant TV,” while also pointing out the tear in Ben’s eye as he celebrated alongside his colleague.
Laura had also encouraged her followers to watch the episode, reminding them that she was appearing on the Lucky Stars special alongside Faye Brookes and Tito Jackson.
She jokingly warned viewers that anyone who knew her would know how competitive she was, while highlighting BIBS as her chosen charity.
Her followers responded with messages of congratulations, with several admitting that the emotional ending had left them “filling up” and praising her choice of charity.
Although the episode had originally been broadcast in 2019, its emotional finale continued to resonate when it was shown again.
Tipping Point airs weekdays on ITV at 4pm.