Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond celebrated the easing of lockdown rules in memorable style on Monday, when they opened This Morning from the pub.
The presenting duo, who are covering for regular hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, were seen sitting outside enjoying boozy beverages in west London.
With Chumbawamba’s classic track Tubthumping playing, Dermot, 47, was seen leaning forward to sip from his glass of beer, as he quipped: ‘Hello, old friend!’
After welcoming viewers to the show, he went on in notably animated fashion: ‘Six words I’ve been waiting to say…’
‘Go on, say it,’ Birmingham native Alison, 46, interjected as she sat close to him at an adjacent table at White City’s Bluebird Café.
Dermot then went on to utter what were, in fact, five words, as he yelled excitedly: ‘We are at the pub!’
‘Yay!’ Alison cheered. ‘It feels so good! And look at you, having a beer. I’m having a Bailey’s. I love Bailey’s. This is so nice. This is like our first jolly. It’s just so nice.’
After Alison spoke of all the restrictions lifted on Monday, including the reopening of pubs, gyms, non-essential shops and hair salons, she said: ‘Best day ever!’
The pair then made their way back into the studio after opening the show, and Dermot soon remarked on how the day came with inclement weather.
He said: ‘Nothing sums up Britain more than the one day we’re allowed to go to the pub I wake up, I literally open my shutters and it’s snowing at 6 o’clock in the morning!’
Alison shared her excitement about being able to visit her hairdresser once again, as she said: ‘My hairdresser texted me and said, “Babes, I’m open!”
‘She sent me a video of her shop and how beautiful it looks. She’s been cleaning it. It’s absolutely pristine, so I’m so happy for her that it’s now open.’
On Monday, Brions kicked off ‘the Glorious Twelfth’ in style, with thirsty drinkers rushing to sub-zero pub gardens at midnight for a pint and long queues forming outside shops, gyms and hairdressers from 6am.
Temperatures dipping to -3C overnight and heavy snow in some areas this morning did little to put off hardy patrons who were seen toasting freedom with a beer outside pubs in Coventry, Newcastle and London.
Elsewhere, shaggy-haired customers flocked to hair salons to get a much-needed cut – while on Oxford Street crowds were seen sprinting towards a JD Sports to get their hands trainers.
A worker of The Fox on the Hill pub in London pours drinks after its reopening. Pints can still only be served outside
There will still be restrictions on social contact – indoor shops can only be visited with members of one household, while the rule of six applies outdoors, including for pubs
There will be plenty of sun around on Monday, but revellers will need to wrap up warm, with average midday temperatures ranging from 6C (42.8F) in the Scottish isles to 12C (53.6F) in Cornwall and 10C (50F) in London.
Britons poked fun at their eagerness to grab a drink despite the cold, with one Twitter user posting hilarious memes of snowmen sitting in a beer garden.
The excitement of lockdown easing got too much for some, with scuffles breaking out at Foot Locker on Oxford Street while a security guard watched on with a guard dog.
Meanwhile, police were called to control crowds outside Arndale Shopping Centre in Manchester, where shouts of ‘why are you pushing?’ and ‘move back!’ could be heard as staff struggled to enforce social distancing.
Earlier, shoppers were seen waiting outside the venue on camping chairs to ensure they were first in line for purchases.
As of Saturday afternoon, 32,010,244 Britons had received the first dose of the vaccination, with a further 6,991,310 having had their second, as the UK recorded 1,730 new Covid cases – down a quarter on last week.
Despite the promising figures, Boris Johnson on Sunday night urged Britons to ‘behave responsibility’ as they make the most of the new rules.
Meanwhile, the Met and Northumbria Police sent extra patrols into city centres to prepare for the deluge of revellers.
The vaccine programme coupled with the ‘palpable sense of excitement’ is expected to make this post-lockdown reopening the strongest yet, with customers are predicted to spend £4.5billion this week.
More than half of hospitality businesses that are opening have splashed out to make outdoor areas bigger, spending an average of £9,040 on each venue, according to industry group UKHospitality.
Pubs have been flooded with bookings, with the British Beer and Pub Association predicting the nation will get through 15million pints this week.
For many venues today will be the first revenue since England’s January 5 lockdown. The unpredictable weather remained the number one worry.
There is also confusion among landlords who have been told their outdoor seating does not qualify as outdoors according to government guidance.
Shelters and temporary structures must have half the walls open at all times to count as outdoors.
But local councils are interpreting the rules differently leaving some landlords and restaurant owners in the lurch on the eve of their supposed reopening.
One landlord has been told his walled garden pub cannot reopen despite having taken more than 1,000 bookings.
Another publican in Brighton told The Telegraph he was ‘devastated’ that his pub could not reopen even though it has a substantial outdoor space.
But other landlords are excited for the influx of customers despite reservations about the weather.
Drinkers queuing this morning outside the Moon In The Square, a Wetherspoons in Bournemouth town centre
Around 61% of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to official figures suggesting that more than 32 million people have received a jab. More than 14% have had both doses