Piers Morgan has taken to Twitter to address controversy surrounding his recent coronavirus test. The Good Morning Britain host revealed on Sunday that he would be absent from Monday’s show while he awaited the results from his COVID-19 test. He has since confirmed that he tested negative for the virus, but has continued to stay at home until he is given the sign-off from his doctor. "UPDATE: My COVID-19 test was negative. I was advised to take the test by my doctor after developing possible coronavirus symptoms, and was entitled to do so as a Govt-designated essential worker,” he told fans on Tuesday. “I'll be back on @GMB as soon as my doctor advises I'm OK to return to work."
But he has since come under fire from some quarters. One now-deleted tweet to the TV star read: "Essential worker???? My daughter is a nurse – she's an essential worker." Piers, 55, replied: "Your daughter is an infinitely more essential worker than me. I was drawing no equivalence, just explaining the Govt's designated all journalists & broadcasters covering the coronavirus crisis as essential workers too, which is why we can get a test if we show symptoms."
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WATCH: Ben Shephard and Susanna Reid joke about Piers Morgan's absence from GMB
Ben Shephard has stepped in to fill Piers's role on GMB, appearing on the show alongside Susanna Reid. On Monday, she explained why she was not self-isolating despite Piers's coronavirus fears. "Dr Hilary, people will ask in the circumstances if there is a symptom, should the rest of us be at work?" Susanna asked, to which Dr Hilary explained: "Well, remember that the symptoms are well defined as to why people should self-isolate. I spoke to Piers yesterday and he doesn't have symptoms normally associated with COVID-19, but as he said, out of an abundance of precaution he has taken the test."
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Susanna, 49, then clarified further, by stating: "But it doesn't affect us here in the studio because we are practicing strict social distancing and the rules are different, I presume, in work places where you are social distancing and households perhaps, where that isn't possible."