Morning Show Host Misses Monday's Show After Falling Ill, Hospitalization

Monday's broadcast of Good Morning Britain was down a familiar face. Richard Gaisford, who serves as a chief correspondent of the ITV morning news show, was absent Monday as he continues to recover after he was rushed to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth for emergency surgery on Sunday.

Gaisford first shared news of his health crisis on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday when he took to the social media platform to share a picture of himself from his hospital bed, admitting that it was "not quite the Sunday I'd planned." The TV host, who thanked the medical staff at Queensland Alexandra Hospital, went on to reveal that he underwent "emergency surgery." 

Not quite the Sunday I’d planned. Many thanks to the incredible team @PHU_NHS for amazing care and a spot of emergency surgery. NHS at its very best. I realise there are untold pressures at the moment, but the service I received was first class and hugely appreciated. ❤️NHS pic.twitter.com/9iBG5bQhXQ

— Richard Gaisford (@richardgaisford) February 25, 2024

While he did not initially disclose details of his hospitalization, his Good Morning Britain co-stars Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley revealed Monday that Gaisford was rushed into emergency surgery for an infection that could not be treated by antibiotics.

"We just wanted to send our very best wishes to our reported Richard Gaisford who posted this picture," Reid told viewers, per the Daily Mail. "He's had to be in hospital over the weekend, he had an infection, antibiotics didn't deal with it so he popped in too see if it was alright and suddenly he was undergoing emergency surgery at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. He wanted to say a massive thank you to all the incredible NHS staff who looked after him, so a swift recovery."

Amid his hospitalization and recovery, Gaisford's fellow ITV colleagues have sent the morning news star well-wishes for a swift recovery. ITV News reporter Sally Biddulph wrote, "Get well soon Richard x," with former ITV newsreader John Stapleton commenting, "Get well soon Richard." Sky News presenter Jonathan Samuels added, "Oh no! Hope you're ok. (PS you're still needed live at 0600)."

It is unclear at this time when Gaisford will return to Good Morning Britain. Gaisford has been broadcasting at breakfast on ITV for the past 24 years, reporting on everything from the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2005 to the Russia-Ukraine war. He was also chosen to travel with Prince William and Princess Kate to Canada on their first Royal Tour in 2011.