Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby are now allowed to sit one metre closer together on the 'This Morning' sofa.

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby

The presenting pair returned to the ITV brunch-time show today (06.09.21) following their summer holidays, and after 18 months filming alongside one another while two metres apart, due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, they were able to replace their two-metre stick with a one-metre version.

Phil said: "We said that we had a bit of news for you. Remember this, the two-metre stick that helped keep us safe for the last year and a half …"

Holly added: "Well goodbye to the two-metre stick and hello to the one-metre stick.

"Oh my gosh, we are so close and yet still so far."

Phil joked: "We're just randomly making up rules here, but this seemed like a good idea.

"You still can't lick me."

His comments came after Holly previously vowed to lick Phil's face when COVID restrictions are finally lifted on the programme.

Speaking in February, she said: "The first thing I am going to do is hug you.

"I might lick your face, just because I can!"

Over the weekend, Phil admitted he doesn't ever get "holiday blues" because he loves working.

He said: "It's nice to have a bit of time off over the summer to catch up with friends and family and I love getting out in the garden and pouring a gin and tonic ... but I love working so I never get holiday blues.

"I always look forward to getting back to a new series, I'm always happy to get back to work."

Holly added: "Time with my family over the summer is the best, but I always look forward to seeing my second family back at 'This Morning'.

"The return in September is always quite an exciting time to learn about what we've got coming up over the next year and it amazes me how the team always come up with new and fresh ideas every time."

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