Lorraine Kelly is a Scottish television presenter, journalist and novelist best known for ITV’s Lorraine. Born in Glasgow on 30 November 1959, she built her career through local newspaper reporting before moving into national breakfast television.
She is 66 as of 17 October 2026, married to television cameraman Steve Smith and mother to journalist and broadcaster Rosie Kelly Smith. Alongside her television work, she has published two novels and received an OBE, a CBE and a BAFTA Special Award.
Her career spans serious news reporting, celebrity interviews and public awareness campaigns. Recent interest has also centred on her family, a short presenting break and changes to her programme’s schedule.
The Newspaper Job That Started Everything
Kelly began her journalism career at 17, joining the East Kilbride News as a trainee reporter. The position gave her practical experience in finding stories, interviewing people and writing for a local audience.
She later moved into television through BBC Scotland. Her national breakfast television career began in 1984, when she became TV-am’s Scottish correspondent.
These early jobs explain an important part of her professional background. Although many viewers now associate her with entertainment and lifestyle interviews, reporting came first.
In a 2024 BAFTA interview, she recalled being told that her working-class Glasgow accent would prevent her from succeeding in television. She explained that the experience encouraged her to approach TV-am.
She has since spoken about the importance of creating opportunities for working-class people and expanding television employment outside London. Her own route into broadcasting developed through newsroom experience and persistence.
From Scottish Correspondent to National Presenter
The TV-am role brought Kelly’s reporting to a national audience. Her work included covering major events, with the Royal Television Society recording her reporting on the Lockerbie disaster and the Dunblane shooting.
Those assignments required a different approach from a relaxed studio interview. They involved distressing circumstances, developing information and conversations with people affected by tragedy.
She moved into a main presenting role on TV-am in late 1990. By then, she had experience both in gathering stories and delivering them on air.
In January 1993, she helped launch GMTV. Her work there developed into programmes associated with her own name, establishing the daytime role that became central to her career.
She also presented on Daybreak, making her career part of several changes in ITV’s breakfast television history.
Why Her Programme Has More Than One Starting Date
The standalone ITV programme Lorraine began in 2010. However, Kelly had already presented programmes carrying her name during the GMTV years.
That distinction explains why profiles sometimes mention different dates when describing her own show.
Her breakfast television debut was in 1984. She helped launch GMTV in 1993, and 1994 marked an early milestone in her own-name presenting work. The current standalone programme dates from 2010.
These are separate stages of one career.
ITV celebrated her wider television anniversary in 2024 with Lorraine Kelly: 40 Unforgettable Years. The documentary marked four decades in broadcasting, rather than four decades of a single programme in an unchanged format.
Her regular show brings together celebrity interviews, topical discussion, fashion, food and personal stories. That variety has allowed her reporting and interviewing experience to remain relevant within a daytime format.
What Viewers Need to Know About the 2026 Schedule
ITV introduced a shorter, seasonal arrangement for Lorraine in 2026. The announced schedule gives the programme a 9.30–10am slot during 30 weeks of the year.
During the weeks when it is off air, Good Morning Britain continues until 10am.
The broadcaster described the changes as part of a wider restructuring of daytime scheduling and production. It said the savings would support investment elsewhere in its programme budget.
For viewers, the main difference is that the programme no longer follows its former year-round pattern. An absence from the listings does not automatically mean retirement or cancellation.
Kelly discussed the change with the Press Association in June 2026. She said the revised routine had given her more balance and more time to write.
The seasonal schedule is therefore both a broadcasting change and a change to her working routine. Current UK television listings remain the clearest guide to an individual morning.
The Recent Break and Her Mother’s Hospital Stay
On 16 October 2026, Kelly announced a short presenting break while sharing an update about her mother, Anne.
The Independent reported that Anne had been admitted to hospital following a fall in which she broke her shoulder. Kelly subsequently told viewers that her mother would be leaving hospital.
This family update is separate from ITV’s seasonal scheduling arrangement. One concerns a recent presenting break; the other determines when the programme airs across the year.
The report also concerns her mother’s health. It should not be interpreted as a diagnosis for the presenter herself.
The information reviewed does not establish a permanent departure from television. It describes a short break announced alongside family news.
Marriage, Motherhood and Becoming a Grandmother
Kelly married Steve Smith in 1992. He is a television cameraman whose career has largely taken place behind the camera.
Published profiles describe the couple as living together. They share a connection with the television industry, although their professional roles and public profiles differ.
They have one daughter, Rosie Kelly Smith, who has worked as a journalist and broadcaster.
In 2024, Rosie welcomed a daughter named Billie, making Kelly a grandmother. The presenter discussed the news on her ITV programme.
Family life also appears in interviews about her interests away from the studio. Her love of dogs is well documented: StreetVet’s profile mentions her Border Terrier, Angus, and Rosie’s dog, Ruby.
These publicly shared details provide a picture of her life outside broadcasting without requiring speculation about private family circumstances.
Bereavement and the Lifestyle Changes She Described
Kelly spoke about bereavement in 2026 following the death of her father, John, in January.
In later interviews, she described finding that period difficult and turning to food for comfort. Those comments provide context for recent reporting about her family and wellbeing.
In October coverage, she said she had stopped drinking alcohol, reduced chocolate, swam regularly and attended an over-55s gym. She described sessions focused on strength, balance and confidence.
Some headlines used a weight-loss figure of 10kg. However, the interview text reported her own estimate as about a stone and a half, based on how her clothes fitted.
Her account was a personal estimate rather than a published clinical measurement. It describes changes she made to her own routine and how she felt afterwards.
Two Novels Set Around an Orkney Community
Kelly’s fiction career began with The Island Swimmer, published in 2024.
The novel follows Evie and the friendships she develops with a group of cold-water swimmers on Orkney. The island setting provides the backdrop for a story involving community, connection and personal change.
Her second novel, The Island Secret, followed in 2026. It returns to Evie’s life, where a woman claiming to be a long-lost relative introduces a family mystery.
The reading order is straightforward: begin with The Island Swimmer, then move to The Island Secret. The sequel continues the fictional world established in the first book.
These titles are her novels, rather than her complete publishing history. Her wider work also includes non-fiction, so a full bibliography should distinguish between categories and editions.
Writing fiction adds another form of storytelling to a career previously built around reporting and interviews.
The Taskmaster Reference Explained
Kelly’s name also appears in searches connected with Taskmaster.
Coverage of Series 21, Episode 3, titled “A Creepy Bit of Advice”, records a prize-task entry involving a cardboard cut-out of her.
That is a specific programme reference. It should not be confused with competing as a regular contestant across a full series.
Her main television career remains associated with journalism, breakfast programmes and daytime presenting, but references such as this show how familiar her public image has become within British entertainment.
(FAQs)
1. Who is Lorraine Kelly?
Lorraine Kelly is a Scottish television presenter and journalist best known for hosting ITV’s daytime programme Lorraine. She has enjoyed a successful career in British broadcasting.
2. How old is she?
She was born on 30 November 1959. Her birthday falls in November each year.
3. Who is her husband?
Her husband is Steve Smith. The couple married in 1992 and have shared a long-lasting relationship.
4. Does she have a daughter?
Yes, she has one daughter, Rosie Smith, who has occasionally appeared alongside her mother in public.
5. What TV programme is she famous for?
She is best known for presenting Lorraine on ITV, covering celebrity interviews, lifestyle topics, health and current affairs.
Conclusion
Lorraine Kelly’s journey from local journalism to national television reflects a career built on reporting, interviewing and storytelling. Beyond her ITV programme, her novels and charity work show the range of her interests. Family life, including her marriage to Steve Smith and becoming a grandmother, adds a personal dimension to that story. While her programme’s schedule has changed, her work spans far more than a daily broadcast. Her lasting contribution to British television rests on decades of experience, recognised through national honours and a BAFTA Special Award.
