‘NOW WE CAN REALLY GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER PROPERLY. THIS TIME TOGETHER IS PRECIOUS’

with only 16 passengers on the huge plane.

‘That flight was the thing I was most worried about,’ Lorraine says. ‘I didn’t realise there’d be so few passengers – but it only takes one sick one, doesn’t it? Dr Hilary [Jones, the resident doctor on ITV’s Good Morning Britain] was really reassuring. He said, “She’s young, she’s fit, she’s resilient.” So although [coronavirus] could happen to anyone, the chances were she’d be fine. Rosie was very relaxed and

Steve has always been great at calming me down and saying, “Come on, it’ll be all right.”’

Rosie wasn’t frightened about flying but, on arriving at London’s Heathrow Airport, was shocked to find no health checks on passengers. ‘Everything seemed like normal,’ she says incredulously. ‘Obviously, there were fewer people in the passport queue and my flight was the only one at the belt for baggage. But I expected a temperature check, or staff wearing masks, or enforced social distancing in the queues – just something. Coming from a place where everything was so restricted, it was completely bizarre. I thought, “OK, I’m starting to see why Britain’s not doing very well.”’

Although her parents invited her to stay with them in Buckinghamshire, Rosie decided to quarantine herself in their London apartment, formerly used by Lorraine on weekdays when the family lived in Scotland. ‘They said, “Just come home and stay in your room for two weeks,” but I thought being in the same house as them and not being able to give them a cuddle would be too weird. So I was adamant – though it was really horrible telling your mum and dad you don’t want to see them.’

Rosie was happy to be holed up in the flat for two weeks, as she says she is used to having her own space, but was overjoyed to return home. ‘Being able to finally hug Mum was lovely but a bit surreal.’ Now, having been home for