Jo Whiley says she's 'shocked at how fast Covid spreads' after her daughter Coco, 12, endures a 'solid week' of illness after catching virus at school - forcing the Radio 2 DJ off air for ten days

• Radio 2 DJ has been absent from the airwaves for the last ten days after her youngest daughter contracted Covid from classmates
• Whiley, 56, said she was shocked at how fast virus has spread amongst Coco's peers - and said her daughter had had headaches, dizziness and sore throats 
• In February, DJ campaigned for people with learning difficulties to be vaccinated more quickly after her younger sister Frances was hospitalised

DJ Jo Whiley has revealed her youngest daughter has endured a 'solid week' of illness after contracting Covid from classmates at school. 

The Radio 2 evening presenter was forced to take ten days out of her presenting job after Coco, 12, caught the virus and the family had to self-isolate. 

Whiley said she had been left 'shocked' at how fast the virus had spread amongst Coco and her peers.  

Revealing on Twitter her youngest daughter, one of four children she shares with husband Steve Morton, had been hit with unpleasant symptoms, the DJ told fans: 'V happy to say I’ll be back on tonight after isolating for ten days. 

'Coco, my 12 yr old developed COVID as did so many of her school mates. It’s shocking to see how fast it spreads. She’s ok now after a solid week of dizziness/headache/sore throat etc.' 

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Almost 750,000 children had to self-isolate last week because they came into contact with a possible Covid case.

Yesterday, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi suggested that every child in the UK could get the jab before the end of the year. 

Vaccinating children against Covid remains a contentious topic because most youngsters are at such low risk from the virus itself and the jabs carry a tiny risk of serious side effects.

In February, the DJ campaigned for people with learning disabilities to be vaccinated more quickly after her younger sister Frances, who has severe learning difficulties and diabetes, was hospitalised. 

Appearing on The Andrew Marr Show at the time, she said seeing her sister struggle with Covid, after catching it in the care home where she lives, had been 'the worst week of my family's life'.  

Frances suffers from a rare genetic syndrome called Cri du Chat - a chromosomal condition that results in delayed development.

Whiley said that Frances had been 'so terrified' about being admitted to hospital that she 'rampaged and people couldn't contain her' leading to security guards being forced to restrain her and called for the Government to ensure people with disabilities and learning difficulties were not forgotten. 

The Government is set to unveil plans to immunise Britons aged 12 to 16 who have underlying health conditions or live with a vulnerable family member. The plans will also see 17-year-olds who are months away from their 18th birthdays offered a vaccine.

However, ministers will stop short of opening the rollout up to all healthy youngsters until more safety data is collected in places like the US, where it is already happening.