Strictly Come Dancing star Janette Manrara stood in for Kym Marsh on Morning Live after the presenter tested positive for Covid-19.
The former Coronation Street actress was absent from the BBC show on Monday after her household “went down like dominoes” and all tested positive for the virus.
Speaking via video call from her home in Warrington, the 45-year-old told professional dancer Manrara and co-host Gethin Jones in the studio that her son David had been the first to fall ill.
She said they believe he caught it from his girlfriend, who was “really poorly”.
We’re sending all our love to @msm4rsh, David, Polly and family – and best wishes for a speedy recovery #MorningLive pic.twitter.com/Nd1ws2nzMz
— BBC Morning Live (@BBCMorningLive) July 12, 2021
Marsh added that she felt “rubbish” but that she also felt “lucky in terms of how sick we have been”.
She said: “The whole household went down like dominoes. It is quite amazing for us because obviously as soon as we found out David had Covid we took all the advice.
“He went and isolated in his room. We didn’t have contact with him until obviously I was taking him food and drink because obviously he needs to eat and drink, and wearing masks and hand washing.
“And we still all managed to get it. So it is amazing how transmissible it still is.”
Marsh expressed concern over her 10-year-old daughter Polly, who has developed a fever.
She said: “They always say that it is more difficult for children to catch it and actually they don’t suffer as much.
“Whilst that may be true, I think she has had a bit of a cough. She has been OK generally. But the fever is the terrifying thing.”
After Marsh signed off, Jones said: “It’s horrible seeing her like that.”
Doctor and TV presenter Xand van Tulleken also appeared on Morning Live and praised Polly for her response to falling ill.
He said: “Children can manifest symptoms and get quite poorly. We know from the data from the first year of the pandemic that the risk to children’s lives and long-term health are very low. They are not zero but they are very low.”
He added: “Polly is an amazing kid. She has dealt with it really well. But it is stressful.”
– Manrara was recently announced as Zoe Ball’s replacement on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, where she will share hosting duties with Rylan Clark-Neal.