As we’re sure you’re well aware by now, 17 May is finally here.

Monday marks the return of indoor dining, overnight stays and hugs – so when we tuned into This Morning, we were expecting a full-blown love-in between presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Holly and Phil have had to maintain social distancing in the This Morning studio at all times, so many expected that 17 May could well be the day we get a heartwarming on-screen hug between the pair.

It seems we have overlooked one small detail in the government’s roadmap, though.

“Holly and I will have to wait a little bit longer for our first hug,” Phil explained at the beginning of the show. “Because hugging isn’t permitted in the workplace.”

Holly then declared: “This is so rubbish! Geographically we can’t hug here.”

“We’re outside,” her co-presenter then pointed out. “But this is still the workplace. You know? So what do you do?”

He then sent an “air-hug” over to Holly, adding: “It won’t be long!”

Last year, Holly and Phil took some extreme lengths in order to share a hug in the This Morning studio when they returned from their extended summer break.

The two were seen embracing through a plastic screen with built-in arm coverings, which they dubbed the “cuddle curtain”.

Unorthodox, yes, but it seemed to do the trick, with Holly insisting: “If you had done this this time last year I would have thought you were some sort of weirdo, but this year I’m all over this… I don’t want to let go.”

This Morning airs every weekday from 10am on ITV.