Ben Shephard in tears as Laura Tobin wins £20,000 for charity close to her heart

Ben Shephard struggled to hold back his tears during an emotional edition of Tipping Point: Lucky Stars after his friend and Good Morning Britain colleague Laura Tobin won the £20,000 jackpot for a charity that had supported her family.

The special, which aired on ITV on Sunday, September 22, 2019, saw Laura compete against Tito Jackson and Faye Brookes, with all three celebrities hoping to raise money for causes they had personally chosen.

For Laura, the stakes were particularly personal. She made it through to the final and was playing for Babies in Buscot Support, better known as BIBS, a charity that had helped her family following the premature birth of her daughter, Charlotte.

Laura Tobin’s emotional £20,000 win

After making it through the final, Laura secured the £20,000 jackpot, immediately becoming overwhelmed by the significance of the moment.

Ben, who had been supporting his friend throughout the game, was emotional too.

As Laura began to well up, Ben admitted that he was close to tears himself.

“You’re making me cry,” he told her.

“£20,000, look at us!” he added as the pair struggled to contain their emotions.

Laura could barely believe what had happened.

“I can’t believe it, I’m speechless,” she said.

The win meant considerably more than a celebrity contestant simply taking home a game-show jackpot. The money was going to a charity that had played an important role in Laura and Charlotte’s lives.

Why BIBS means so much to Laura

Explaining the reason for the emotional reaction, Ben pointed out that the £20,000 was destined for a very special cause.

“There’s a reason we’re crying of course. The £20,000 is going to a very, very special charity,” he said.

Laura then opened up about Charlotte’s early arrival and the care her daughter received.

“My daughter Charlotte who is beautiful was born very prematurely, three months early,” Laura explained. “She was looked after in the Buscot Ward at Reading Hospital.”

The charity Laura had chosen, Babies in Buscot, supports babies, children and the families and relatives around them.

Laura said that the organisation was relatively small, making the prize money particularly valuable.

“They are such a small charity but this will pay for an incubator for a baby,” she explained.

For Laura, the opportunity to raise £20,000 for BIBS gave the win a much deeper meaning.

Baby Charlotte joins her mother on the show

The emotional moment became even more memorable when baby Charlotte was brought into the studio to celebrate with her mother.

Ben reflected on what Laura had achieved, while the appearance gave viewers a glimpse of the daughter whose premature birth had inspired Laura’s choice of charity.

Laura had previously spoken publicly about Charlotte’s difficult start in life. In 2017, the little girl was born prematurely and spent time receiving care in the Buscot Ward at Reading Hospital.

Ben shares emotional reaction on Twitter

Following the broadcast, Ben shared a clip of Laura’s winning moment on Twitter and explained why the result had been so meaningful for him.

He described it as one of the most emotional finishes to Tipping Point, saying it was particularly special to celebrate a jackpot win with a friend who had been through so much.

Ben also highlighted what the money could provide for other premature babies, saying the new incubator would help save lives like Charlotte’s.

Laura later shared the emotional footage herself, acknowledging that while she is known for being competitive, the charity was far more important to her than the competition itself.

“Anyone who knows me, knows how competitive I am, but this was more important than winning,” she wrote.

She explained that the money was being donated to BIBS, the small charity that had helped care for Charlotte.

Laura had previously introduced Charlotte to GMB viewers

Laura had already shared Charlotte’s story with Good Morning Britain viewers the previous year, when she brought her daughter into the studio during her maternity leave.

At the time, Laura spoke about just how small Charlotte had been when she was born.

“Two and a half pounds when she was born, she was tiny, now she’s just over 14 lbs,” she said.

Laura also revealed that Charlotte had needed oxygen for a long time after her birth, but was becoming stronger as she grew.

“She was on oxygen for a really long time. But the bigger she gets the stronger she gets,” she explained.

The emotional Tipping Point: Lucky Stars finale therefore marked a full-circle moment for Laura. What began as a difficult experience for her family became the reason she was able to raise £20,000 for the charity that had supported them.

For Ben, watching his friend win the jackpot made the moment equally personal, leaving both presenter and contestant visibly emotional as Charlotte joined them to celebrate.

Tipping Point airs weekdays at 4pm on ITV.