Holly Willoughby has returned to host This Morning after being absent from the show for two days at the start of the week.
Instead, Rochelle Humes had replaced Holly and presented the ITV show alongside Phillip Schofield.
"Hello, good morning and welcome to your Wednesday morning, it's lovely to be back!
"How are you, I've missed you! Are you all okay? I think we are just about holding on, " she asked, referring to the new lockdown announcement.
"Still holding on! Happy new year!" she gushed.
A source close to Holly said: "Holly’s absence isn’t Covid related.
"It was always the intention for Holly to start this morning on Wednesday.
"The reason why she hasn’t joined Phil in the studio today is because she couldn’t get childcare last minute when asked to push her start date forward."
On Monday morning, Phil, fresh back from the Christmas break, explained: "Hiya and happy new year. Welcome to the very first This Morning of 2021.
"Holly is spending a couple of extra days with the family, so Rochelle is here."
Other ITV hosts including Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan returned to their usual hosting slots on Monday.
The last time Holly missed the show was in November, when her young children had to be tested for coronavirus.
Her 11-year-old Harry, Belle, nine, and Chester, six, exhibited symptoms of Covid, but they all thankfully tested negative.
Phillip made light of the situation, joking that Holly's absence was due to her secretly starring on The Masked Singer.
"Holly is not here today," he said.
"She is just about to wrap up her singing commitments with The Masked Singer.
"The Badger… who would have thought?"
As Rochelle laughed that he was being "naughty" Phillip added: "I am leaving it at that. Of course, I am.
"I don't want to give the game away. I don't want to spoil the surprise."
* This Morning airs weekdays on ITV at 10am
