Rylan Clark-Neal is returning to This Morning to present the show with his Big Brother co-star Emma Willis.

The presenter has had some time off from the ITV programme, and in December addressed rumours about his absence by posting a message on Twitter explaining that he needed a break after working constantly for five years.

He is now returning to fill in for hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield for a week and said fronting the programme is like “coming home”.

Clark-Neal said it has “been weird” being a viewer of This Morning.

He said: “I sit there watching, thinking, ‘I might as well be there!’

“But it’s also been nice to actually watch it for a change. I’ve had such nice messages from everyone saying, ‘When are you back?’

“I speak to Ruth (Langsford) and Eamonn (Holmes) the whole time and I text Holly and Phillip. I’m not forgotten.

“At the same time, it’s great to come back and say, ‘See I wasn’t sacked! I’m not pregnant and I’m not getting divorced’.”

Clark-Neal is particularly looking forward to presenting with his “big sister at work” Willis.

Emma Willis
Emma Willis (PA)

“I love Emma to bits and it’s really nice to work together away from Big Brother and bring our chemistry to a different show,” he said.

“Me and Emma always think the same things, we’re always on the same page. We have our little tells together and can give each other a little look.

“We do make each other laugh too. One time there was a spider that had come down from the ceiling in the studio and we were both behind the sofas, in a state. With me and Emma, definitely anything can happen. We often go off piste too and that makes us laugh.”

Willis said while hosting such an iconic show is exciting it is also “nerve-wracking”.

“It’s done so brilliantly day in day out by Holly and Phil, you just don’t want to go in there and let the team down in any way,” she said.

The presenter said she can’t wait to sit on the sofa alongside Clark-Neal and would also relish the opportunity to front This Morning with her husband Matt Willis.

“I’ve worked with Matt before and it would be fun to do that again,” she said. “I don’t think we would bicker, I think he’d probably just let me be in charge if it was a presenting thing.”

Clark-Neal and Willis are hosting This Morning from Tuesday April 3 to Friday April 6. Holmes and Langsford will be hosting the show the following week, from Monday April 9 to Friday April 13.

This Morning airs on weekdays at 10.30am on ITV.