Phillip Schofield almost clashed with a journalist on Thursday's This Morning as they spoke about Covid restrictions being lifted.
Plan B measures brought in to control the spread of coronavirus in England are to end from next week, it has been confirmed.
Phillip and his co-host Rochelle Humes invited Gyles Brandreth and Henry Bonsu onto the show to discuss the latest headlines, and the conversation soon turned to Covid.
"I'm hoping that we will beat Omicron and that no new variant emerges and we'll need to keep our testing and tracing for a while because we need to be sure that no horrible variant comes through," Henry began.
"And even if many people consider Omicron to be no worse than flu, well actually, 359 or so people died yesterday in hospitals, that's what the reports say. We don't know how many of those people died from Omicron or with Omicron.
"But let's remember that learning to live with Covid, whatever Covid it is, means learning to live with something that is ten times more deadlier than the regular flu," he added.
Phillip quickly replied: "Which is unfortunately all very scaremonger-y, because you know with everything you have to... I can fully appreciate that as we've said, we're vaccinated, you're boosted, there is a natural immunity now, a vast section of the community won't get it anyway.
"And so Henry, with the greatest respect I get that, but I just find words like that unnecessary and frightening."
"Hang on, can I come in?" Henry fired back.
"Let's be frank, it might be unnecessary and frightening but the number of people who died from this virus, from the various manifestations of it, total around 170 so thousand. I know people, personally, who died who would still be here if it weren't for..."
"Of course, without question. Yeah is no question that it is an utter tragedy," Phillip then butted in.
"We're looking back to Delta when it first of all started and we didn't know what it was, it was terrifying. Massive mistakes were made in government, we know that for a fact.
"But that's then, we've got to be in a position where we're able to look forward and see something positive. The scientists have said what happens with viruses is that they do mutate, but they begin to tail off. No virus wants to kill the entire population of the world, otherwise it's got nothing to infect.
"And so therefore, what you want is and what seems to happen is that eventually they've begin to tail off and that's what the scientists tell us. I'm sick of being frightened," Phillip added.
Rochelle agreed and quickly moved the conversation on by talking about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITV Hub.
