Ben Shephard was left stunned today after discovering that he would be part of a romance storyline on Coronation Street.
Soap actress Patti Clare appeared on the ITV news programme to open up about her character Mary Taylor's not-so-secret crush.
GMB aired a clip of Mary holding up a blanket with Ben's faces printed on it as she told co-worker Sean Tully: "Take him, take my Ben."
Ben burst into laughter as Kate exclaimed: "It was Ben all along!"
She added: "I feel like I need to duck out of the way and squeeze Ben and Mary together. Come on, let's make it happen!"
"It does happen in Mary's world," Patti laughed. "In Mary's world, being embraced by Ben is her idea of heaven.
"So she's put two and two together and come up with 10 and I think it's a brilliant idea. She could get a chain going of Ben products."
"I'm very, very flattered," Ben said. "I'm very flattered as well that someone as discerning as Mary would think that I could offer some kind of solace in these times of need and such uncertainty!"
"Well, it makes perfect sense, don't you think?" Patti said.
Later, Ben joked that he was his mates were taking the mickey out of him and were ordering 'Ben blankies".
"I am getting a lot of grief from my mates," he said, but added: "Finally I'm getting the recognition I deserve!"
*Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV
