Tipping Point: Lucky Stars

Ben Shephard (Host)

Born: December 11, 1974 in Epping, Essex

Best Known For: Hosting The Xtra Factor

Early-life: Benjamin Peter Sherrington Shephard was born in Essex on December 11, 1974. He has a brother and sister. He studied dance, drama and theatre arts at Birmingham University. As a teenager he loved sport, and played for South-East England's Under 16 and Under 18 football teams, and for the Senior Eastern Counties rugby team. After graduating, he spent time in France, working in a chateu. He returned to the UK and landed jobs at various production companies, before getting his big break in 1998, hosting Channel 4 series Control Freaks.

Career: He co-hosted The Bigger Breakfast and T4 on Channel 4, before signing up to ITV2's Bedrock. Among his presenting credits are EastEnders Revealed, Channel 4's Planet Pop, MTV Select with Kelly Brook and Exclusive with Lisa Rogers. As well as presenting GMTV Today and Entertainment Today, Ben also fronted the station's lifestyle series Inch-loss Beach in 2003 and took a road trip from San Francisco to LA in Ben's Road to Hollywood. He presented the ITV2 show The Xtra Factor since 2004 but quit - reportedly being angry that Dermot O'Leary was brought in to replace Kate Thornton on the main show, instead of him. He has since presented several high-profile shows for ITV and is the face of The Krypton Factor.

Quote: "My experiences as a backpacker have taught me that decent toilet paper is a luxury you just can't afford to be without."

Trivia: Shephard holds the world record for the most pumpkins smashed in one minute - 11.

Katie Piper (Contestant)

Antony Cotton (Contestant)

Born: August 05, 1975 in Bury

Best Known For: Playing Sean Tully in Coronation Street.

Early-life: Born Antony Dunn in Bury on August 5, 1975 to Paul and Enid. He has an older brother, Andrew. Antony attended Oldham Theatre Workshop for 10 years and his first big break came in 1999 when he was cast as Alexander Perry in Channel 4's Queer as Folk.

Career: Cotton went on to have guest roles in The Bill and Absolutely Fabulous before landing the role of Sean Tully in Coronation Street in 2003, a part he continues to play. Away from Weatherfield, Cotton won the second series of Soapstar Superstar, briefly fronted his own teatime chat show on ITV, finished fourth on I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2011 and won Let's Dance for Comic Relief in 2013.

Quote: "Drama has two faces the happy and the sad face and that is always what Corrie has done brilliantly - the humour and the pathos - if you can make someone laugh as an actor then you can make them cry."

Trivia: Cotton won a British Soap Award in 2007 and a National Television Award in 2007 for his work on Coronation Street.

Jonathan Ross (Contestant)

Best Known For: His cheeky celebrity interviews.

Early-life: Jonathan Stephen Ross was born on November 17, 1960, in Camden, London. He is one of six children born to a lorry driver and his film extra wife (Martha Ross had a bit part in EastEnders for over 20 years). Jonathan appeared in TV ads as a child, but after completing a degree in modern European history at the University of London, he began his TV career as a researcher on such shows as Loose Talk and Soul Train.

Career: In 1987, Ross and his friend Alan Marke devised a format inspired by Late Night with David Letterman, and after struggling to find a suitable host, Ross stepped in. The resulting show, The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross, made him a star. Other major projects include his chat shows Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and The Jonathan Ross Show, and his stint as the reviewer of the BBC's Film programme. He's also a massive comic book fan; his first foray into the genre, Turf, was published in 2010. But he's also hit the headlines for various controversies over the years, including the notorious Sachsgate, which involved a prank call made by him and Russell Brand to actor Andrew Sachs in 2008.

Quote: "People like coming on my show because they know they'll have fun and they know I'm going to be respectful to them. I'm never, you know, mean-spirited."

Trivia: He's been married to screenwriter and author Jane Goldman since 1988. They have three children.

Richard van't Riet (Director)

Sara Doyle (Executive producer)

Kate Lownds (Executive producer)

Hugh Rycroft (Executive producer)

4:25 pm - 5:30 pm, Tuesday, December 23 on ITV1 London HD (103)

About this Broadcast

Season 9, Episode 3

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