Christine Lampard opens up about how lockdown has affected her 1-year-old daughter

Christine Lampard has opened up about the impact lockdown has had on her one-year-old daughter Patricia, revealing she has been “100%” her little one’s world.

The TV presenter was discussing how coronavirus measures had affected family life as she prepares to present ITV’s Lorraine for two stints over the summer, while Lorraine Kelly is on holiday.

“I am 100% her world because I’ve been with her 24 hours a day,” she said.

“Frank actually being at home for a big chunk at the beginning of lockdown was fantastic, as much as it was for the awful reasons we were there.

“It was just lovely. Patricia is like, ‘I’ve got mummy, and mummy is not talking to you, she just deals with me’. That’s what her little life is at the minute. But funnily enough when we finally got to see my family this week, she went crazy for them.

Despite the change in the family set-up as the presenter returns to the Lorraine studio, the 41-year-old mum is not concerned her little girl will miss her too much.

“I don’t think Patricia will worry about me doing Lorraine every day,” she explained. “The timings mean I will only really miss her breakfast, which Frank will do, but I will be back early and I’ll still be able to put her down for her nap and spend the rest of the day with her and put her to bed in the night time.

“I don’t think she will miss me that much, thankfully. She’s at that age when it’s still very manageable as there’s no having to drop her off at school.”

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While filming in the studio has changed because of new safety guidelines, Lampard said appearing back on Loose Women has prepared her for the adjustment.

“I have been lucky because I’ve been on Loose Women throughout all of this,” she said.

“Obviously, we’ve had a couple of women in the studio and we’ve had one of our women at home and all of our guests are ‘down the line’ [on video calls].

“It’s strange and I’m sure it’s the same for everyone in this mad set up, you just adapt and actually you adapt very quickly. I like having guests in the studio and being able to have a chat before you go on air, that’s part of it for me. But the fact that we can talk to people, it’s actually fascinating seeing them in their own environments.”

Lampard said that the thing she found the hardest about lockdown was being away from family.

“I'm lucky that's all I'm finding difficult, because so many people have lost loved ones at this horrendous time and experienced some real hardships,” she says.

“Not being able to see your family for me has certainly been the worst aspect of it. I normally like to try and get home once a month or they come over to see me. But obviously that’s not possible and so many families are in the same situation.”

She describes the moment when she was finally reunited with her family as “emotional”.

“We have been in touch constantly throughout, but when you have a little one, you really appreciate the relationship they have with their grandparents and I don’t like them not being part of that and missing out on all the tiny things they do day-to-day.

“You have to think of everyone else that is suffering way more than we are. I can’t get it out of my head how families have coped with their loved ones in hospital with this disease and not being able to be there for them.”

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Though the family feel grateful they haven’t been ill, they have some good friends who have been.

“A good friend lost a father-in-law and one of my sister’s best friends lost her grandmother and her mother had it too and fortunately survived,” she adds.

“We all know people who have been affected. I’ve been in touch with Kate Garraway [whose husband Derek Draper is still in hospital] through this.

“I mean, what a year she’s had. She started off in the jungle, which was a remarkable experience, with Derek being so much involved and her children being in the middle of it and then to hear she is going through this nightmare along with so many thousands of families, it’s just awful.

“We all love Kate. She’s one of my favourite people in telly. It’s been so dreadful but so wonderful to have her back on the telly and hopefully for her too to have a little bit of normality.”

Like many of us, Lampard said the COVID-19 pandemic has made her appreciative of the “little things,” in life.

“Just being able to go out for a drink with your friends or being able to see your family,” she explains. “All I wanted was to sit down and have a cup of tea with my mum and the fact that I couldn't do that absolutely broke my heart. Like so many of us, I struggled with not being able to see my parents.”

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While many of Lampard’s fellow celebrities have charted their long-awaited trip the the salon, Lampard hasn’t yet made an appointment.

“I know a lot of people have really missed going to the salon but I’ve actually enjoyed just letting my hair grow,” she says.

“I’ve not had anything done with it at all. I have missed getting my hair done, as in a blow dry, that's my favourite thing. But getting it coloured, I haven't coloured it at all. In fact, I haven't coloured it for I don't know how long.

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And though she’s got the odd grey hair, she hasn’t had to turn to DIY hair colour.

“So, I have been fairly lucky on the hair salon front although I'd really like to get my nails done,” she added.

Lampard will host Lorraine from 20 July to 7 August and again from 24 August to 1 September, while Andi Peters will step in from 10 August to 21 August.

Lorraine is on ITV on weekdays from 9am.