For millions of lockdown viewers, Lorraine Kelly has been the bright and bubbly pick-me-up keeping their positivity on point.
But while cheerily lifting the spirits of her biggest audience in a decade, she has been dealing with her own private anguish – as her 80-year-old father fought for his life.
And this week Lorraine – ITV’s undisputed queen of morning telly – talked to the Sunday People about having days when she was so distressed she struggled to go to work.
She said: “We went through a few very tough months thinking we were going to lose him. It was just awful – but he was amazing, he rallied.
“This time last year he was in hospital and got out just before Covid started. He basically has heart failure.
“He also had a really bad scare and they thought he had lung cancer but it was just a massive, massive infection.”
Lorraine, 61 – currently running the Positivity Project about surviving lockdown on her ITV morning show – said the toughest part for her, as for millions of others, has been not seeing her parents.
She revealed: “I haven’t seen my mum or dad since last July.
“That I have found the most difficult, not to be able to nip up and see them.
“You know what it’s like with parents – they don’t want to tell you there’s anything wrong so they say, ‘Yeah, I’m fine’ because they don’t want you to worry as they know there’s nothing you can do. So that’s really hard.”
Lorraine – based in London while dad John and mum Anne live in Scotland – says she has resigned herself to missing out on a family “gathering of the clans” next week to celebrate her father’s birthday.
A larger celebration abroad is now planned for September, when her mum turns 80.
Lorraine said: “The lovely thing about being a bit older is that you can give something back to your parents.
“My absolute dream is to be able to take them to Singapore to see my wee brother Graham and to be able to celebrate out there with his girlfriend.
“That will be such an emotional, amazing celebration. I just hope we can do it out of travel restrictions.”
Lorraine spoke of her relief that both her parents have now had the Covid vaccine jab. She said: “They felt grateful for having it done.
They’re from a more formidable generation. They all want to have it and they’re not listening to all this conspiracy theory nonsense.
“They’re the generation that grew up when kids still died of childhood diseases.
“My mother had siblings who died from conditions you can now get vaccinated against, like German measles and scarlet fever – so they really know how important it is to get vaccinated.
“All the online scaremongering is infuriating. Imagine the state the world would be in if we didn’t have a vaccine – it would be an endless cycle of lockdowns.”
Lockdown has also made her realise how much she values simple human contact.
Lorraine said: “I miss the little things like being able to see people for a cup of tea, going to the pub for a wee drink, or going out for lunch and dinner and meeting people.
“I don’t think I realised what a tactile person I was before we were not allowed a cuddle.
“My wee dog is a border terrier and he runs away from me the whole time now because I cuddle him all the time.
“But he has actually saved me because I do take him out for a massive long walk every day. We walk for hours.
“That has kept me sane – and also the fact that I’m fortunate enough to still be working.”
As a champion of finding the bright side, Lorraine is the first to admit how lockdown and family worries have challenged her.
She said: “I have quite a sunny disposition, but I’ve had days when I have really struggled to go in to work – I’ve just felt a bit overwhelmed by it all.
“I try to talk myself around. I say you are very lucky to have work and to do such an interesting job.
“I try to get myself out of that mood by speaking to my best friend in Spain, who I’ve not seen in over a year.
“And in the week if I’m having a bit of a wobble I talk to my mum, I talk to my daughter, I talk to my husband and I also talk to my work colleagues.
“People are realising in all this that it’s actually OK to feel wobbly emotionally.”
Lorraine also offered advice for how to survive lockdown with a loved one: “You have to give each other space or you’ll drive each other nuts.”
She and husband Steve have extra bedrooms for when she has to wake up early for the show, they walk the dog at different times and give themselves “me time” in different parts of the house or garden.
Lorraine added: “Thankfully Steve and I get on terribly well – so it’s working out very well.”
- Watch Lorraine weekdays on ITV from 9am and catch up on the ITV Hub
