Here's why Piers Morgan wasn't on Good Morning Britain today, and when he'll be back
Regular viewers tuning in to Good Morning Britain this morning will have noticed that regular presenter Piers Morgan is missing from action.
Advertisement
Advertisement
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic raging on the background, it's not unlikely one or two will have put the two together.
So where is the divisive host? And is he OK? When might he be back?
Here's everything you need to know:
Where is Piers Morgan?
Morgan has temporarily stepped back from the programme after developing a “mild” coronavirus symptom.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Morgan tweeted: “On medical advice, and out of an abundance of caution for a mild symptom that arose in the past 48 hours.
"I’ve had a test for Covid-19 and so won’t be working on Good Morning Britain until I get the result back, which should be tomorrow.”
It's been a busy few days for Morgan.
llast week, he was cleared of breaching TV watchdog Ofcom’s rules after attracting more than 3,000 complaints over his “combative” questioning of care minister Helen Whately in two interviews.
Advertisement
Advertisement
During an animated interview, he asked Ms Whately for the number of health workers and care workers who had died from the illness.
She accused him of “shouting at me and not giving me a chance to answer your questions” and “attempting to score points”.
Morgan defended his approach, saying it was not as “uncomfortable” as the conditions for the carers on the front line of the coronavirus crisis.
Advertisement
Advertisement
When will Morgan be back?
As mentioned in his Tweet, Morgan should receive the results of his Covid-19 test today (4 May).
Assuming he tests negative for the disease, he could be back in time for Tuesday's show.
If the presenter does test positive for Covid-19, he'll be out for a lot longer, even if he only suffers from minor symptoms.
Advertisement
Advertisement
According to the World Health Organisation, the median time from onset to clinical recovery for mild cases is approximately two weeks and, three - six weeks for patients with severe or critical disease.
Who will be presenting instead?
The programme will be hosted by ITV presenter Ben Shephard alongside Susanna Reid as Morgan waits for his test results.
Morgan attracted some more positive publicity in recent weeks, as one of the famous faces taking on the 2.6 challenge which replaced the London Marathon, and raised money for struggling charities last Sunday.
A host of huge names, including Sir Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff and David Haye went through a workout, led by Morgan, in aid of the Ruth Strauss Foundation.