Alastair Campbell apologises after admitting to breaking Covid rules ‘Am I a criminal?’

Alastair Campbell joined Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain today as a co-host of the ITV show. However, the writer and Tony Blair’s former spokesman apologised to viewers after admitting he had broken social distancing rules and had mistakenly called a guest by the wrong name. 

Reid and Campbell welcomed Christine Brett and Dr Deepti Gurdasani onto today’s show to discuss the possibility of Boris Johnson allowing people to hug one another when restrictions ease next week. 

After the discussion, the temporary GMB host revealed he had recently broken Covid rules.

Campbell began: “I must confess Susanna, I lapsed the other day I just forgot.”

“Call the police,” Reid joked and Campbell replied: “Would you call the police or do you think [GMB guest] Nadine Dorries might call the police later?”

Read more: Alastair Campbell hints at huge SNP election game-play on independence

“What did you do?” Reid asked. “Let’s find out the extent of the crime.”

“We met some people and didn’t hug them when we met and at the end, I just sort of forgot,” the political strategist said.

“When I left I hugged them, am I a criminal?” Campbell added while Reid shook her head at him. 

Moving on, he continued: “By the way can I apologise, this proves I do need glasses I’m afraid. I think I called Christine, Caroline at one point.”

“Unfortunately, we are now in a situation where none of that has happened and we have a new variant growing in the UK, cases of this new variant are doubling every week in the UK,” she continued. 

“Even with restrictions in place, this variant is growing very quickly. In London, 50 percent of cases are now no longer the Kent variant and we don’t know how effective our vaccines are against this particular variant.”

However, Brett, co-founder of Us for Them, argued: “I think hugging is what makes us human, isn’t it?

“I think we have to remember that whilst there are these variants, the latest data shows that only 0.8 percent of people are carrying the virus now.”

“You can’t get the virus from somebody that doesn’t have it,” she said.

“We also have to remember that two-thirds of all adults have had the vaccination and 90 percent of those over 70 have had the vaccination. 

“I think we have to put this in perspective, children have been not looked on favourably in this pandemic at all and they’ve been penalised – 15 months of a four-year-old is actually a third of their life and we’re in danger of hard-wiring children to stay away from people.

“We know that children need a cuddle when they’ve fallen over, touch is very important which is why we give skin-to-skin care when babies are born. It’s really important we get our lives back to normal.”

Good Morning Britain airs on weekdays on ITV at 6am.