Holly Willoughby has been forced to cut short her seven-week family holiday to go into quarantine so that she can return on time to host This Morning.
The TV presenter, 39, had planned to fly home from the Algarve at the end of August after taking a summer break with husband Dan Baldwin, 45, and their children Harry, 11, Belle, nine, and Chester, five.
But UK government Covid-19 restrictions mean all passengers returning to Britain from Portugal must self-isolate for 14 days.
All good things come to an end: Holly Willoughby has been forced to cut short her seven-week family holiday to go into quarantine so that she can return on time to host This Morning
As a result, the TV star has flown home a fortnight early and will quarantine with her family at their London home to be back on screens by September 7.
A source told MailOnline: ‘Holly accepts that she has to go into quarantine and will follow the rules but she isn’t happy losing two weeks from her holiday.
‘The summer break is her chance to re-charge after a hectic period and to spend time with her family.
‘After all the stresses of the pandemic she had been looking forward to relaxing as long as possible.
‘The summer is her chance to re-charge’: A source told MailOnline Holly isn’t happy about cutting her summer break short by two weeks but understands she must follow the rules
Returning to work: The source explained that Holly was disappointed but it’s what ‘she’s had to do to keep the This Morning team safe and to ensure she returns to the show on time’
‘Instead of seven weeks away she has had to make it five – but it’s what she’s had to do to keep the This Morning team safe and to ensure she returns to the show on time.’
Holly and her family stayed in the luxury resort of Quinta do Lago, which is favoured by other celebrities, including Wayne Rooney and her co-host Phillip Schofield.
The UK government introduced the 14-day quarantine period for travellers to the country on June 8 when a coronavirus spike hit with an infection rate of almost 50 per 100,000 population, one of the highest in Europe.
Portugal’s removal from the quarantine list could be announced this week but would not be enforced until the end of August, but it would be too late for the presenter and her family.
They flew to Portugal soon after her last appearance on This Morning on July 10 with Eamonn Holmes and his wife Ruth Langsford, both 60, filling in.
Quality time: Holly had planned to fly home from the Algarve at the end of August after taking a summer break with husband Dan Baldwin and their children Harry, Belle and Chester
Married: Holly and husband Dan stayed in the luxury resort of Quinta do Lago, which is favoured by other celebrities, including Wayne Rooney and her co-host Phillip Schofield
Friends say Holly cherishes the summer break as she gets to spend more time with her family away from the commitments of filming ITV’s This Morning.
The strain of presenting during the pandemic showed when Holly penned an emotional farewell from TV last month.
She had continued to present the popular daytime program with Phillip, 58, working with producers to ensure the show went ahead as normal.
Holly took to Instagram before her summer break to express her thanks to the This Morning team and the viewers who tuned in during lockdown.
She said: ‘Thank you… thank you for staying with us over the last 109 days… When we began this new way of broadcasting, we had no idea how long we would be able to come in, or whether it would be our last time broadcasting from the studio during lockdown.
‘The team have adapted and had plan a, b, c and d in place just in case… Some days we didn’t know If we’d have the content to fill the show, but somehow we always managed it and even had a few laughs along the way.
‘You see us, but we feel that you are there with us, every single show… @thismorning holds a mirror up to life and reflects the mood of what we are all feeling.’
Holly added: ‘I can’t thank our team enough! @martinfrizell1, Emma, all the production who came in.
‘The production team who worked from home, crew, the TM family and fellow presenters who are consistently brilliant, but mostly to @schofe for metaphorically holding my hand and reliably being socially distanced shoulder to shoulder with me…
‘What a strange time… Feeling incredibly grateful… Huge love, thank you again… See you in September.’
‘Thank you for staying with us’: Holly thanked This Morning viewers before her summer break for their continued support throughout the pandemic