Presenters Patrick Kielty and Alex Jones were forced to move apart live on last night’s The One Show after viewer complaints.
The two hosts had to scoot down the sofa from one another after several emails pointed out they weren’t properly ‘social distancing’. ‘Social distancing’ involves staying at least a metre away from others in public to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
Midway through the show, the presenters distanced themselves from each other while Jones told viewers: "We have had a lot of emails about social distancing. And the fact that we're quite close together. We hear you and we've moved apart."
She added: "It’s just hard to break habits, isn't it? That's what it is. We're so used to sitting, but yeah, you are absolutely right."
That wasn’t the only way COVID-19 shook up the show. Usual host Matt Baker was forced to appear via videolink from self-isolation at home after experiencing the symptoms of coronavirus.
"I'll be honest with you I'm not feeling as good as I normally do. I've wondered for a couple of days if we've got it,” he told Jones.
"I'm certainly feeling pretty tired and I've got this dry cough. I don't have a fever as such."
Kielty is presenting in the studio as a stand-in for Baker, who is self-isolating for 14 days.
In order to reduce the transmission of coronavirus, the UK government is advising people to reduce social interaction with others. This means avoiding non-essential use of public transport and working from home when possible and avoiding large gatherings of people.
