Kate Garraway returned from a two-week break from Good Morning Britain on Thursday, revealing that during her absence, she and her children experienced a Covid-19 scare.

The daytime presenter – whose husband, Derek Draper, has been seriously ill in hospital since March, after contracting coronavirus – told co-host Ben Shephard that there had been multiple “challenges” thrown her family’s way in the last couple of weeks.

“It’s lovely to be back, I’m sorry I’ve been absent for a couple of weeks now,” she explained. “Well, [we had] a few challenges kicking off, challenges with Derek as there always are.

“We had, outside of Derek, a little bit of a scare. In the sense that, we found out the children had come into contact with somebody who after they came into contact with them, tested positive for coronavirus.”

Kate continued: “It’s happening a lot because of schools, so just to be ultra, ultra, ultra cautious, kept them at home, kept me at home until we got negative tests.

“We got two negative tests actually, because you know me, more is more. So all three of us had negative tests, mercifully.”

“But I did think, ‘oh my goodness, this is going to be very difficult, obviously horrific if any of us get sick’,” Kate added. “And I’ve had [Covid-19]. I had it when Derek first had it.

“But there is a lack of clarity about whether after six months you might not have the same level of antibodies.”

Derek was placed in an induced coma after being admitted to intensive care with coronavirus in March.

He has remained in hospital in the months since, with Kate sharing candid updates on her husband’s health in the time that followed.

In October, Kate confirmed the former lobbyist and political adviser was able to breathe without a ventilator and had mouthed his first word.

Good Morning Britain airs every weekday from 6am.