Lorraine Kelly’s future career plans have emerged amid speculation she may be leaving ITV following 43 years with the broadcaster. The TV presenter’s contract is reportedly due to expire next year, and “she hasn’t signed a new one”.
This follows her programme being reduced from an hour to 30 minutes this January, as more than 220 positions were eliminated across ITV’s daytime programming including Lorraine, Good Morning Britain, This Morning and Loose Women.
Amongst those made redundant were key members of Lorraine’s long-standing team, with whom she had collaborated for years – a situation she is understood to have been “appalled” by. Sources suggest “the show hasn’t been the same since”.
The broadcasting stalwart is now reportedly “secretly planning her next big project away from ITV” for the first time in her four-decade career, with two fresh ventures allegedly underway.
The first involves launching a YouTube programme – with Lorraine said to be looking to replicate the success of her friend and former Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan’s series Uncensored, which attracts millions of viewers worldwide, reports the Mirror.
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The second project is a podcast alongside daughter Rosie, 31, who recently published a book titled Mother to Mother after welcoming her first child, Billie, who turns two this August.
The podcast is believed to be in “advanced planning stages” and would adopt the same title as Rosie’s book. She would co-host it with her well-known mother while welcoming celebrity mum guests, according to reports.
A source revealed to The Sun: “Lorraine is older now, but she’s far from retirement – she would just like more time to spend at home with daughter Rosie and granddaughter Billie without the pressure and commitment of travelling to London for just half an hour on screen.”
The insider added: “Secretly, she would like to take her format and turn it into an online interview format, whether that’s a video podcast or a YouTube series, where her fans can tune in whenever they like. One of the other ideas they have, that one of Lorraine’s former team is helping with, is that Lorraine joins Rosie for a new podcast called Mother To Mother, after the success of Rosie’s book.”
They continued: “She would have more viewers if she took her show online and turned it into a podcast – and more money from sponsorship and brand deals. Lorraine’s social following is huge, so the audience is already there, too. Anything she does like this will be a huge success. There’s no doubt about it.”
According to the source, Lorraine has been seeking guidance from longtime friend Piers and is keen to reunite with her previous team, with whom she remains “extremely close”. The Scottish presenter is also said to be attracted to the prospect of working independently and recording content from her own home at her convenience.
However, a representative has reportedly maintained she’s content with her current position at ITV. They informed The Sun: “Lorraine has no plans to move away from her show, and any podcast activities would be part of a portfolio, as we see with so many other top broadcasters – complementary to her show, which remains her absolute priority.”
