Susanna Reid sends message to GMB co-host Piers Morgan after he is tested for coronavirus

Piers Morgan was absent from Good Morning Britain this morning

Morgan has been tested for the virus and will not return to the programme until he receives his results, which are due on Monday.

ITV presenter Ben Shephard, standing in for Morgan, introduced Monday's show, saying: ‘It's just gone six o'clock. Welcome to the programme. As you can see, I am not Piers.’

Reid added: ‘No, it's therapeutic Monday,’ before showing viewers a tweet from Morgan.

It read: ‘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.’

Reid added: ‘That was tweeted yesterday so the results should be back today. We send our very best wishes to you, Piers, and we will be on our best behaviour while you are not here.’

Last month, Morgan was cleared of breaching TV watchdog Ofcom's rules after attracting more than 3,000 complaints for his ‘combative’ interviews with Government ministers amid the outbreak.

28 captivating photos of Spice Island when it was known as The Point

Morgan attracted more than 3,000 complaints from two interviews with care minister Helen Whately.

Almost 600 viewers also complained about another interview with Health Secretary Matt Hancock on April 16.

Morgan defended the first interview, saying it was not as ‘uncomfortable’ as the conditions for the carers on the front line of the coronavirus crisis.

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on portsmouth.co.uk. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to portsmouth.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit our Subscription page now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.