Lorraine Kelly is to daytime TV what the Queen is to the royal family. Whatever people think about the chaos, clashing egos and the squabbles of those around them, both can be depended upon to be a steady, comforting presence – one that’s almost universally liked.
Of course, Lorraine’s three-decade reign has been on an ITV sofa, not a throne. And the thorn in her side has been Piers Morgan – not some troublesome princes.
But the two also have share something else in common – Prime Minister Boris Johnson has managed to insult both of them.
Now, after his “who’s Lorraine?” snub at the end of his disastrous Susanna Reid interview last month, Lorraine has thrown down the gauntlet to the embattled PM.
The Queen of the Sofa has offered to grant him an audience whenever he likes – if he’s brave enough to accept.
“I have met him a couple of times - but clearly I didn’t make much of an impresssion,” laughs Lorraine. “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 tried to talk to him. So maybe he doesn’t want to.”
Could it be that he’s too scared? “Well, he will be now!” laughs Lorraine, alluding to Johnson’s faux pas.
His blunder came as Susanna did the usual Good Morning Britain handover link to Lorraine’s show, after interviewing the somewhat-flustered Prime Minister about Partygate.
And while Lorraine can laugh off the snub, she can’t laugh off the scandal.
“The whole thing was shameful, absolutely dreadful,” she says. “I don’t think anyone will forget that image of the Queen on her own grieving her husband while parties were going on at Number 10. That happened to grieving people all over the country.
“The saddest thing is we have lost trust in politics generally.”
For a second, it sounds like Johnson should be less worried about him on her sofa and more about her in his seat.
But the 62-year-old mum-of-one has no political aspirations, unlike former colleage Esther McVey MP.
“ I don’t think I would be very good at it,” she laughs. “I wouldn’t like toeing the party line. I’m better to be the voice outside shouting ‘Oi!’”
A bit like another old colleague then.
So has she seen Piers Morgan’s new Uncensored show?
Cue the politician-style dodge: “I’ve seen, I’ve seen..a lot of people from here are working on it. The trouble is it’s 8pm. I’m usually doing my homework, but it’s going to find its place.”
She does however have a soft spot for former GMB presenter Piers – even if he tells her off for it.
“It’s incredibly quiet without Mr Piers Morgan,” she laughs. “I know he is very polarising and he infuriates me sometimes but he’s a very, very loyal person and if you were ever in trouble he would help you.
“He hates it when you tell people he’s actually nice though. ‘It’s not good for my brand, stop it!’ he’ll say.”
Talking of facing difficult things, Lorraine recently conquered one of her biggest fears.
She was trampled after falling off a horse in 2012 and was lucky to survive.
Last month she got back in the saddle with the help of 14-times Paralympic Gold medalist Sir Lee Pearson. But it was a one-time only deal.
“It felt like I’d done something special. The fear has kind of gone,” she says. “But I’m not going to to be doing it again. After [a close shave], you realise ‘I am not invincible’.”
Another fear that plagues Lorraine is not something she can face head on: “I really fear losing myself with dementia, because my gran had it.
“Hers was not too bad but I’ve seen friends slowly losing themselves or someone they love. I don’t want to lose anybody I love bit by bit and I certainly wouldn’t want that for myself.
“We need more money for research. And I feel very passionately that we’ve got to have a grown-up conversations about people who want to go out with dignity, whether they’re suffering from that or another debilitating disease.
“We should give people the choice, the option to have a good death, if there is such a thing, on their own terms.” For the seemingly cheerful Lorraine it’s an unexpected dark turn.
But day to day, she’s focusing on much lighter goals – shifting her lockdown pounds. She went up two dress sizes and while she only a large 14, due to her petite build, felt “sluggish”.
She became an ambassador for WW, formerly WeightWatchers, and signed up to its app, offering tailored exercises, food suggestions and support.
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In four months, she dropped to a size 10, and – without giving up any foods – was back in her favourite dresses. “One had got too tight to get over my bottom”, she laughs.
“It’s not a diet. It’s healthy choices. You don’t feel like you’re in some horrible draconian regime, like those stupid diets of the 80s and 90s – the cabbage soup diet, the maple syrup diet. We’ve got to eat like humans and enjoy ourselves.”
Lorraine’s certainly enjoying herself.
She loves quality time away from the limelight with her hubby of 30 years, cameraman Steve, and has no thoughts of retiring.
She’s thrilled to be one of many older female presenters, proving TV ageism belongs in the past.
“It’s got better,” she says. “You’ve got Janet Street-Porter, Gloria Hunniford, Angela Rippon. We’ve amassed experience and wisdom and that’s valued.”
One thing she won’t do is go on shows like Strictly, I’m A Celeb or Dancing on Ice. “I get asked all the time and it’s kind people think of me,” she says. “But I can’t dance, I can’t sing and would rather eat my own bottom.”
Boris Johnson is probably thinking something similar after his open
invitation to go on her show – though, with the lovely Lorraine, they’ll be no kangaroo bits for him to eat, just some well-deserved humble pie.
- For more on WW’s personalised programmes, download the WW app, follow WW UK on social media or visit weightwatchers.com/uk/
- To watch Lorraine’s full exclusive interview on Daily Mirror’s Jess Saying Live, visit facebook.com/dailymirror/videos or watch via the Mirror YouTube page.
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