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.

Tony Blackburn (Contestant)

Born: January 29, 1943 in Guildford, Surrey

Best Known For: Being Radio 1's first DJ.

Early-life: Antony Kenneth Blackburn was born on January 29, 1943, in Guildford, Surrey. His father was a doctor. Tony was educated at Millfield Public School in Somerset and Bournemouth College. He made his first public appearance while still at college, singing and playing guitar for the Ian Ralfini Dance Orchestra at the Bournemouth Pavilion. He read in the music press that disc jockeys were wanted by a radio station, applied and got the job.

Career: Blackburn made his first pirate broadcast on July 28, 1964, on Radio Caroline. In 1966, he joined its rival, Radio London. He was the first DJ on air when Radio 1 launched in 1967 and spent the next 17 years at the network. TV work includes Time for Blackburn, Top of the Pops, Noel's House Party, The Bill, KYTV and The Brain Drain. In 2002, he was introduced to a whole new audience when he won the first series of I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! In 2010, he replaced Dale Winton as the regular host of Radio 2's Pick of the Pops. He also presents various shows on regional networks. His greatest love is soul music. In 2015, he was a contestant on ITV's celebrity sheepdog trials programme Flockstars.

Quote: "I'd like to die live on air."

Trivia: Blackburn is a vegetarian.

Tim Vine (Contestant)

Born: March 04, 1967 in Cheam, London

Best Known For: His superb one-liners.

Early-life: Born Timothy Mark Vine in London, on March 4, 1967. The son of a structural engineering lecturer and a part-time medical worker, Tim demonstrated a love of performing from an early age. His elder brother is broadcaster Jeremy Vine and his younger sister, Sonya, is a painter. Tim first got into comedy when he used to take part in a weekly competition night at the Comedy Cafe in central London. As his reputation and confidence grew, so did his fan base and he soon branched out on his own.

Career: Vine burst onto the stand-up circuit by winning the Perrier Best Newcomer Award for The Tim Vine Fiasco at the Edinburgh Festival in 1995. Tim's solo shows in Edinburgh include Tim Vine Flat Out, I'm Vine Thanks, Tim Vine and the Minotaur, Punslinger and Joke-amotive. He was in both series of ITV's The Sketch Show and appeared alongside his friend Lee Mack in five series of BBC One sitcom No Going Out. They also took part in Let's Play Darts for Comic Relief, with Vine finishing runner-up to competition winner Mack. He's acted in Blandings and is a resident comedian on Celebrity Squares alongside Joe Wilkinson.

Quote: "Velcro - what a rip off."

Trivia: In 2004, Vine broke the record for telling the most jokes in an hour - 499. He held the record until November 2014, when Australian comedian Taylor Goodwin told 550 jokes in an hour.

Megan McKenna (Contestant)

Born: September 26, 1992 in London

Best Known For: Reality show Ex on the Beach.

Early-life: Megan was born in London on September 26, 1992 and grew up in Woodbridge, Essex. From an early age, Megan wanted to be famous. She went on to became a member of short-lived girl band LOLA with The Only Way is Essex's Jessica Wright.

Career: In 2013, McKenna made it to the boot camp stage of The X Factor but didn't go any further. She auditioned again the following year but Simon Cowell told her she would never be taken seriously as a country singer because she came from Essex. McKenna's big break came in 2015 when she joined the cast of MTV reality show Ex on the Beach. In January 2016, she entered the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Quote: "At school, I spent every lunchtime in the music room, practising my singing and playing the guitar - music is all I've ever wanted to do."

Trivia: McKenna unsuccessfully auditioned for Britain's Got Talent.

Richard van't Riet (Director)

Sara Doyle (Executive producer)

Kate Lownds (Executive producer)

Hugh Rycroft (Executive producer)

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Tuesday, December 30 on ITV1 London (3)

About this Broadcast

Season 9, Episode 6

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