Phillip Schofield declares 'I'm free' after testing negative for coronavirus

Phillip Schofield has declared himself a free man after testing negative for coronavirus two days in a row.

The This Morning presenter has been self-isolating at home for a week since he first received a positive lateral flow test for COVID-19 on Monday 31 January.

Schofield posted a negative test result on his Instagram Stories on Monday 7 January saying: "Oh hello!! what have we here?"

On Tuesday morning he added: "It's official!!! 2 days negative...I'm FREEEE."

Read more: Holly Willoughby reunited with old pal as Phillip Schofield still has COVID

Holly Willoughby told This Morning viewers: "Phil has had a negative COVID test and today is negative again so he is free. He is released into the world."

The 59-year-old TV presenter - who is fully vaccinated - spoke to This Morning co-stars Alison Hammond and Willoughby via video link on Monday morning and confessed he was, "bored out of my brain."

He said he had been binge-watching boxsets and cleaned "every surface" in the house but felt frustrated because he was "locked-in".

Watch: Stephen Mulhern to replace Phillip Schofield on Dancing On Ice following positive COVID test

Schofield added: "I had a slight scratchy throat that prompted me to test last week and I've been positive every day since."

Government guidelines for those who have tested positive with coronavirus now state that you can leave the house after five full days of self-isolation if you test negative two days in a row.

Schofield has been replaced by Alison Hammond and Vernon Kay on This Morning since testing positive.

He missed hosting Dancing On Ice on Sunday night for the first time ever in its 14 series, and Willoughby was joined by her old CITV colleague Stephen Mulhern instead.

Schofield joked on social media that the ITV skating show is "actually very good", as he enjoyed watching from the comfort of his own sofa with a gin and tonic.

Read more: Josie Gibson shocked to be asked to step in for Holly Willoughby

Last week he revealed he had felt "fine" since testing positive for coronavirus, admitting "It's not what I expected."

He said: "I'm fine. I haven't even got a sore throat now. I've sneezed twice, and that's it! I've got a slight temperature.

"This is not what I expected, I've got to say."

Watch: Phillip Schofield has a giggle in the This Morning studio