Susanna Reid and Ed Balls were back together at the helm of Good Morning Britain earlier today but viewers were quick to criticise after a big school holiday fine debate

Susanna Reid made her much-awaited return to Good Morning Britain today after nearly two months off air but her comeback didn’t exactly please everyone.

Stepping back into the studio after a lengthy absence from the ITV breakfast show following the summer holidays, the 53-year-old presenter was back with a bang, joining Ed Balls at the desk for her first appearance since July. The hot topic for debate on Monday’s GMB was whether it’s acceptable to whisk kids away from school during term time.

With stern policies in place, absences without valid reasons can prompt schools and local councils to take action including fines for parents. Some viewers sensed that Susanna seemed to favour strict adherence to term-time attendance, sparking a flood of online backlash.

One viewer pointed out the irony, commenting: “So funny, Susanna who can’t manage an attendance rate of 50% shows mock outrage at kids taking a holiday”, reports the Express. Another voiced nostalgia mixed with incredulity saying: “Ffs! How did my generation ever survive? We used to have holidays in term time, no strict uniform, and the general rules were far less strict. How did we manage to survive in the grown up world?”

She joined Ed Balls as she returned to Good Morning Britain following her lengthy break ( Image: (Image: X/Susanna Reid))

Susanna has enjoyed some well-earned time off and most were thrilled to see her ( Image: Mike Marsland/WireImage)

Another shared their personal story: “As a child, I had multiple holidays during school time because I was in a single-parent household, and my mother couldn’t afford to pay the extreme rates. Today I have 2 degrees and work as a Mental Health Professional, so it wasn’t as damaging as #GMB are trying to portray.”

A fourth viewer strongly contested Susanna’s remarks, stating: “Simply untrue about kids missing some days of education impacting their earning potential. How very one size fits all of you.” Another criticised the TV hosts, asserting: “Such an ignorant view! What about the mass home educated population who go on to thrive! Please do better!”

But many were pleased with her return, as one voiced: “So good to see Susanna back in her chair things should get back to normal now. I have not enjoyed the mix of presenters over the summer but should be a regular viewer again now!” Another admirer praised her appearance: “Susanna looking gorgeous. So lush to have her back on hosting duties.”

She announced her comeback to Good Morning Britain on Sunday, exclaiming with excitement: “ELLO SEPTEMBER! Back to your screens tomorrow (with @edballs) after an incredible summer – looking forward to seeing you all.” Susanna went on to acknowledge her enjoyable summer activities and concluded: “Returning tomorrow to OFFICIALLY the BEST NEWS PROGRAMME @GMB thanks to @nationalrealitytvawards.”