Lorraine Kelly has opened up about her career as a novelist during her appearance on The One Show, revealing that she wasn't ready to part with the characters from her debut book.
Lorraine's Writing Journey
The ITV talk show host, best known for her morning programme, released her first novel The Island Swimmer in 2024 and is now unveiling its follow-up, The Island Secret. Speaking to hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp, Lorraine said: "I wasn't finished with those characters in the first book. I wanted to, I didn't want to say 'cheerio' to them. I didn't want to say bye-bye."
Turning to fellow guest Bill Pullman, she added: "I guess it's like that when you do a part, you sometimes think, 'Oh, I don't want to say goodbye to him. I want to stay.' So it's a bit like that."
About the New Book
Lorraine shared that her new book follows Eve, the character from her first novel. She explained: "Well, there she is. Everything's going really well, everything is lovely. And then wham, from the US comes a woman, a person who is looking for her roots, which I know a lot of Americans want to do that when they come back to Scotland. And she claims that Evie is a relative but she is not all she seems."
The TV star promised "lots of twists and turns along the way," adding: "And I hope that people will really enjoy the story and enjoy revisiting Orkney again because you know how much I love Orkney. It is a different world, and it's almost like a character in the book."
Challenges of Writing
Lorraine revealed she was "amazed" when The Island Swimmer became a bestseller. Asked if it was daunting to start a second book, she admitted: "It was. It was because you're sort of questioning yourself. But actually, talking to other writers and the sort of community of writers are very supportive. People like Marian Keyes are amazing. And she said, 'No, that's good. You should feel that', like the difficult second album, the difficult second book.
"It really is because you're sort of worried, and you've got something to live up to. But I loved doing it, and it's something that I enjoy so, so much. And it's just been a joy to do."
Lorraine airs on ITV on weekdays at 9.30am, and The One Show airs on BBC One at 7pm on weekdays.
