Lorraine Kelly has put on a brave public face after brutal ITV cuts saw her long-running daytime TV show radically downsized.
Despite insisting she still loves her job after the sweeping changes – her show was reduced to thirty minutes a day, now only airs for 30 weeks of the year and has lost a large chunk of her award winning production team – insiders tell us that, behind the scenes, the much loved broadcaster, 66, is feeling ‘lost’ for the first time in her 40 year career.
Lorraine Kelly is adjusting to her new life after 40 years on airCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
She’s missing her right-hand woman, Lorraine editor Victoria KennedyCredit: Linkedin
The show has currently been off air since early March, and in recent weeks, we understand the impact of all the changes has hit Lorraine hard in her time off.
“Lorraine is feeling flat and at a loss,” reveals a source close to the telly legend.
“She’s suddenly found herself with a lot more time on her hands, given these extra weeks off the air, and for a workhorse like Lorraine, it’s taken a significant adjustment.
“Since January, she has also been working with a new hubbed production team who work across her show, This Morning and Loose Women, and it’s just not the same as when she had her own dedicated staff, many of whom lost their jobs in the cuts.
“She is struggling with life without the team she worked with for many years. They provided daily support and interaction; they were like a second family that Lorraine has lost in a brutal and sudden way.
“While she was devastated at the time it all happened, this break from screens has given her a lot of time to ruminate on it all.”
SOCIAL MEDIA SIGNS
Indeed, on her social media, she has made no secret that she is missing her former right-hand women: ex Lorraine editor, Victoria Kennedy, and former producer Helen Addis, who spearheaded the series’ groundbreaking breast cancer campaign, Change and Check.
She gave a shout out to them on instagram last week, after learning her show had been nominated for a TV BAFTA, saying: “Thank you to my old amazing team and my former editor and friend @vejk100 and of course @thetittygritty – I miss you all so much.”
Lorraine went on to say the news of the nomination had “really cheered me up”, hinting that she had feeling fed up while not on TV every day with her old crew.
Our source continues: “She’s been extremely affected by her team and her closest allies losing their jobs.
“She was blindsided by the decision and she didn’t agree with it – even though none of it was her fault, Lorraine still felt responsible that she couldn’t save jobs and she’s been devastated by that.
“Lorraine knows how privileged she is – she knows she has enough money in the bank and is more financially secure than she could have wished for in her wildest dreams, but her heart was broken for the people on her team were parents with young families to support.
“She’s been helping them all to try to find new opportunities, using her social media and her huge influence within the television industry to big up her talented former colleagues.”
We understand Lorraine is also spending her time off babysitting her baby granddaughter, Billie, spending more time with her daughter Rosie and also her husband Steve, who has been her rock.
But while she loves her family, and this whole experience with her show has made her realise how they are the most important thing in the world, she’s someone who needs to feel continually creatively challenged too.
Our source adds: “Lorraine has always had summer and half terms off but now her show is only on air for 30 weeks a year, this is the longest she’s not been on TV.
“She relishes the extra time with her daughter and granddaughter, of course, and she’s also enjoyed writing her next novel, but she’s wondering what’s next.
“She’s been thinking a lot about whether there is perhaps a new project she can take on with some of her old team.
“There’s been a few meet-ups with them and some chatting about ideas – they are a talented bunch and work brilliantly together so it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they end up working together again on something else away from daytime or the traditional television networks.”
And while we understand Lorraine has no plans to quit her show or leave ITV when her contract is up at the end of 2026, all the changes have made her aware that nothing lasts forever.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
“She’s sort of resigned herself to the fact that more changes will come at ITV daytime as budget cutting never seems to end once it starts. She knows no-one is indispensable, not even when you’re a household name.”
Tellingly, the star recently changed her Instagram bio to reflect who she is now and there is no direct mention of the Lorraine show on there – she says she is a grandmother to Billie, mum to Rosie and that she’s on TV in the mornings.
“That’s her priorities there and it shows that she is preparing herself more and more about life away from the Lorraine show.
“She’s not interested in landing a huge new TV job – she’s too hurt by that now, but she is open to new challenges within the media that will reinspire her.
“She has seen the reports about Holly Willoughby being in talks for her own series on YouTube, and Lorraine is open to opportunities within the new media landscape and streaming world.
“She is very adventurous, has a positive outlook on life and will embrace those opportunities that immediately light a fire inside her.
“It’s this period that she’s finding it most difficult because it feels like a real time of transition and reflection.
“She’s been trying to lift her spirits by keeping herself busy, but she’s still ambitious and she always has an eye on keeping herself fulfilled career-wise.”
Who knows what will happen next, but one thing is for sure: Lorraine has weathered many ups and downs in her career, and always comes out on top.
“You can’t keep a good woman down for long,” says our source. “She is one of the best in the game and whatever she turns her hand to will be successful.”
She’s also busy being a grandmother to granddaughter BillieCredit: Instagram
