Lorraine Kelly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Honorary Colonel Lorraine Kelly CBE
Kelly at Waterstones, London in 2024
Born	(1959-11-30) 30 November 1959 (age 65) Glasgow, Scotland
Occupation	Television presenter journalist
Years active	1983–present
Employer	ITV STV
Television	Good Morning Britain Daybreak Lorraine
Spouse(s)	Steve Smith ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	1

Lorraine Kelly CBE (born 30 November 1959) is a famous Scottish television presenter. She has hosted many popular TV shows for channels like ITV and STV. Some of her well-known shows include Good Morning Britain, GMTV, and her own show, Lorraine.

Lorraine is also known for her charity work. She was given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award in 2012 for her help with charities. Later, in 2020, she was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her work in TV, journalism, and charity.

Early Life and First Steps in Media

Lorraine Kelly was born in Gorbals, a part of Glasgow, Scotland. Her family later moved to East Kilbride, where she went to Claremont High School.

Instead of going to university, Lorraine chose to work at her local newspaper, the East Kilbride News. In 1983, she joined BBC Scotland as a researcher. The next year, she started working for TV-am as a reporter, covering news from Scotland.

Lorraine's Television Journey

Starting at TV-am and Good Morning Britain

In 1984, Lorraine became the Scotland Correspondent for TV-am. She gained attention for her reporting on the Pan Am Flight 103 disaster in Lockerbie. Because of her great work, she started presenting Summer Sunday in 1989.

By January 1990, Lorraine became a main presenter for Good Morning Britain. She hosted the show alongside Mike Morris.

Hosting GMTV and Her Own Show

Kelly attending an event in June 2007

In 1993, Lorraine helped launch GMTV, a new breakfast TV show. She first presented Top of the Morning. Soon after, she moved to the main breakfast show with Eamonn Holmes.

After taking time off for maternity leave, Lorraine returned to host a segment about mothers and babies. This led to her own show, Nine O'Clock Live, which became very popular. It was later moved to an earlier time and renamed Lorraine Live.

In 2000, her show was renamed LK Today. Then, in 2009, it became GMTV with Lorraine and moved into the main GMTV studio. From April 2010, GMTV with Lorraine started airing all year round, even during school holidays.

Moving to Lorraine and Daybreak

Kelly (left) with guests on the set of Lorraine in 2018

On September 6, 2010, GMTV ended, and a new show called Daybreak began. Lorraine's show was also relaunched with a new look and simply called Lorraine.

In 2012, Lorraine started co-hosting Daybreak with Aled Jones. However, in February 2014, she decided to leave Daybreak to focus on her own show, Lorraine, which she now hosts five days a week.

Lorraine has also made guest appearances on other shows. She was a guest presenter on This Morning and even had a cameo in the TV show Birds of a Feather. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she hosted her show from the Good Morning Britain studio, focusing more on news and health advice.

Other Television Projects

Work with STV

Lorraine has hosted the annual Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards for STV.

Since 2011, she has been a key presenter for the STV Children's Appeal, helping to raise money for children in need. She also hosted Lorraine Kelly's Hogmanay in 2016, celebrating New Year's Eve. In 2019, she presented a game show called The Cash Machine.

Other TV Roles and Appearances

Kelly (left) carrying the Queen's Baton during the Queen's Baton Relay prior to the start of the 2014 Commonwealth Games

Lorraine has had many other roles on TV. She was the spokesperson for the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003 and 2004. She has appeared on comedy shows like Have I Got News for You and Absolutely Fabulous.

She also co-hosted This Morning for a period. Lorraine presented a documentary series called Secrets Revealed – DNA Stories and a six-part series called Lorraine Kelly's Big Fat Challenge, which helped a family lose weight.

Lorraine has even acted in TV shows like the Scottish sitcom Still Game and the soap opera River City. In 2024, she appeared on The Masked Singer as "Owl".

Writing and Charity Work

Writing Career

Lorraine writes weekly columns for The Sun newspaper and The Sunday Post. She also became the first "Agony Aunt" (someone who gives advice) for the RAF News, a newspaper for the Royal Air Force.

Helping Others Through Charity

Lorraine is a patron for several charities, meaning she supports them publicly.

• She supports Worldwide Cancer Research, which funds research to find cures for cancer.
• She is also a patron for POhWER, a charity that helps people speak up for themselves and get the support they need.
• Lorraine is a patron of Help for Heroes, a charity that supports injured service personnel and veterans.
• She is an Honorary Patron of The Courtyard, an arts center in Herefordshire.

In 2011, Lorraine took part in the BT Red Nose Desert Trek for Comic Relief, helping to raise a lot of money for charity. She has also been a big supporter and presenter for the STV Children's Appeal since it started in 2011.

Awards and Special Honours

Lorraine Kelly has received many awards and honours throughout her career.

• In 1991, she won the TRIC Diamond Jubilee Award for New Talent of the Year.
• In 2004, she became the first female rector of the University of Dundee. This is a special role where she represented the students.
• She received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Dundee in 2008 for her charity work.
• In 2018, she received another honorary degree, a Doctor of Arts, from Edinburgh Napier University.

As mentioned earlier, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2012 and promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2020. These are high honours given by the British monarch for great achievements.

In 2014, Lorraine received a special Scottish BAFTA award to celebrate her 30 years in television. She has also been recognized for her support of the LGBT community, receiving the "Honorary Gay Award" in 2015.

Lorraine also holds honorary military appointments. Since 2009, she has been an Honorary Colonel in the Black Watch battalion Army Cadet Force. Since 2019, she has been the National Honorary Colonel of the Army Cadet Force.

Personal Life

Lorraine Kelly is married to Steve Smith, a television cameraman, whom she married in 1992. They have one daughter, Rosie, born in 1994. In 2024, Lorraine became a grandmother when Rosie had a daughter named Billie.

Lorraine has lived in different places, including Cookham Dean and Bourne End in England. She also lived in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, for a long time and considers herself an "adopted Dundonian."

She is a big fan of the Scottish football team Dundee United and was made an honorary patron of the club in 2018. Lorraine has also spoken openly about her experiences with the menopause to help other women.

Filmography

Television Shows

Guest Appearances

• Lily Savage's Blankety Blank (2001)
• The Weakest Link: Celebrity Special (2001)
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (2003)
• Birds of a Feather (2014)
• The Cube (with daughter Rosie) (2021)

Films