Not everyone is ready for a hug: Susanna Reid rejects hug from Adil Ray on Good Morning Britain

Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid proved on Monday that not everyone is ready for a hug, despite the easing of Covid rules, as she rejected a hug from co-host Adil Ray.

The TV star said she was “in the mood for a virtual hug” as Ray turned to her with arms wide open.

Millions of people in England and Wales can now hug loved ones and socialise indoors for the first time in months under stage three of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown.

After watching a guidance video showing Dr Hilary Jones safely hugging his wife, Ray rose from his chair and turned to Reid ready to implement the advice.

Reid cried, “no, no, no, no, no,” as her co-presenter outstretched his arms and said “come on I haven’t seen you in such a long time.”

She replied, “I am still in the mood for a virtual hug” prompting Ray to sit back down.

Reid apologised for the knock back and explained she wanted to save her hugs for her most loved ones, including her mother, and not risk infecting her.

She said: “Adil, apologies. I’m protecting you first of all. Secondly, if we ration our hugs I’m letting you hug more important people.”

He quickly responded: “Susanna let’s be honest. If there was no pandemic, you would still not hug people.”

Following his onscreen rejection, Ray recalled Reid turning him down for a hug the first time they met at the National Television Awards.

Later on in the show, he asked once again if she had changed her mind and she replied that they had been warned not to hug in the workplace.

It comes as Professor Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said hugging is a “high-risk procedure”.

He told BBC Breakfast: "Some of us are quite happy not to be hugging and kissing many times on the cheek.

"This is a high-risk procedure, I would say in medical terms and I would certainly not be embracing people closely. I think you can greet people perfectly well at a distance with a smile and a kind word."

He added: "I think we must be extremely cautious.”

Downing Street has issued guidance on making hugs safer including not hugging face-to-face, keeping them short and to a minimum.

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