Phillip Schofield made his return to ITV's This Morning on Monday following his prolonged absence from the show.
At the top of the programme, he thanked viewers for their support during his time off and also sent well wishes to his co-host Holly Willoughby, who is currently recovering from shingles. Watch his address below:
"Well, hiya," he began, while sitting alongside stand-in presenter, Rochelle Humes. "Holly isn't well today so sadly off today and perhaps a few more days with a bout of shingles. Ouch.
"So if you're watching at home, Holly, then get well soon. The whole team sends their love. Thank you, Rochelle, for coming to play."
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Phillip then addressed his absence from the show, saying: "I wanted to say that it is really lovely to be back. I have missed the show and everyone here."
Looking into the camera, he said: "Also to you, I wanted to say thank you for all your kind messages and support, which were really appreciated. So, thank you very much indeed."
© ITVThe 61-year-old took leave from the programme at the beginning of the month as his brother Timothy stood trial at Exeter Crown Court, where he was found guilty of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019.
Following Timothy's guilty verdict, Phillip issued a statement on Instagram. "Statement about the conviction of Timothy Schofield: My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family," he began. "I hope that their privacy will now be respected.
"If any crime had ever been confessed to me by my sibling, I would have acted immediately to protect the victim and their family. These are despicable crimes, and I welcome the guilty verdicts. As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother."
© InstagramPhillip's return comes amid Holly's absence from the show. On Sunday, the mum-of-three, who has been away for the Easter holidays, revealed that she will extend her leave after coming down with the rash.
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Taking to Instagram, she wrote: "Hi... Just to let you know I may be away for the rest of the week as I have shingles... I'll be back as soon as I'm better. Huge love, Holly."
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