Lorraine Kelly has said Boris Johnson is welcome as a guest on her TV show “whenever he likes” after the Prime Minister asked “Who’s Lorraine?” when appearing on ITV last month.
Mr Johnson’s question came during an interview in May on Good Morning Britain, when Susanna Reid referenced ITV’s Lorraine show, which airs after GMB.
Kelly, 62, who has presented her popular daily talk show Lorraine since 2010, told the Daily Mirror: “I have met him a couple of times – but clearly I didn’t make much of an impression.
“But, absolutely, he can come on my show whenever he likes. We have asked him. But he hasn’t taken up our invitation so far.
“He’s probably the first prime minister I’ve not interviewed. David Cameron came on a few times and Theresa May, and the leaders of the opposition have many times.
“It’s strange. It seems slightly odd. But he hid in a fridge when Piers (Morgan) tried to talk to him. So maybe he doesn’t want to.”
The Good Morning Britain interview with Mr Johnson at 10 Downing Street marked his first appearance on the ITV breakfast show since 2017 when he was foreign secretary.
He had fleetingly featured on the show in December 2019 when he walked away from cameras and appeared to hide in an industrial fridge in order to avoid engaging in an interview.
Following the “Who’s Lorraine?” remark, the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson was quoted by The Guardian as saying that “as was clear, the Prime Minister was not fully across the ITV daytime line-up this morning” and also added “you’ll appreciate he has a number of issues to deal with on his desk”.
Last month, Kelly sent a “special hello” to the Prime Minister as she took to the stage at the Bafta TV Awards to present the news coverage award, quipping: “Hello, and a special hello to Boris. I’m Lorraine. It’s lovely to see you.”
Scottish presenter Kelly ruled out a stint on popular shows like Strictly Come Dancing, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! or Dancing on Ice, telling the Daily Mirror: “I get asked all the time and it’s kind people think of me. But I can’t dance, I can’t sing, and would rather eat my own bottom.”
Last year she was made a CBE for services to broadcasting, journalism and charity.
