Phillip Schofield returns to This Morning after Covid-19 isolation

By Ellie Iorizzo, Senior Entertainment Reporter PA

Phillip Schofield has returned to co-host This Morning after self-isolating with Covid-19.

The TV star, who also missed an episode of Dancing On Ice, shared a photo of a lateral flow test showing a positive result with his three million Instagram followers on January 31.

Opening the ITV morning show on Wednesday, co-host Holly Willoughby said: “Look who’s back.”

"We'll work up to licking" 🤨🤨 Welcome back Phillip! pic.twitter.com/ViV9LH1UlC

— This Morning (@thismorning) February 9, 2022

Schofield, 59, admitted he had binge-watched over 80 hours of Disney drama This Is Us and also had time to watch Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler during his self-isolation.

He said to Willoughby: “You realise I am now fully antibodied up? You could lick my face… I am bullet-proof for 90 days, allegedly.

“We should point out if you don’t know any of this conversation, ages ago, months ago, Holly said when we can finally sit together I am going to lick your face.

“I have missed you, missed this, missed telly, I’ve missed everything.

“I have cleaned every single cupboard in the kitchen, I have binged on stuff I haven’t had time to watch, The Tinder Swindler, and the other one Don’t Mess With Cats, not what it’s called, This Is Us what a discovery.

“They’re on series six at the moment (This Is Us) and I think it finishes forever in May, it’s 18 hours more or less per season and I’m about halfway through season five, that’s how much I have watched.”

Willoughby, 40, branded his binge-watching “impressive”.

As Schofield missed Dancing On Ice on Sunday night, co-host Willoughby instead fronted the show with Stephen Mulhern.

However, the TV presenter did find a benefit to isolation as he revealed he was enjoying the experience of watching Dancing On Ice from home.

On Instagram, he wrote: “Well this is an experience I never expected!!

“I’m loving watching with a G&T.”