Lorraine Kelly has described being touched by the “heartwarming debut” of Madeleine McCann’s younger brother, Sean, as he represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
The ITV broadcaster was volunteering at the Glasgow 2026 event, stepping away from the studio to assist spectators and athletes at the Scottish Events Campus. She admitted spending much of her time posing for photographs, jokingly questioning whether she was “a help or a hindrance”.
Witnessing Sean McCann’s swim
Kelly spoke about witnessing Sean McCann compete in swimming for Scotland, with his parents Gerry and Kate and twin sister Amelie watching from the stands, as reported by the Scottish Daily Express.
She said: “I don't know whether I've been a help or a hindrance, frankly, but I've loved it. I've loved every minute of it. What I thought was a really heartwarming story was Madeleine McCann's little brother who was here, his parents were there supporting him.
“It was lovely see them as a family and the headline not to be about the sad tragedy, it was about life going on and him doing so brilliantly. It's wonderful.”
She added: “The volunteers are the very heart of it all, and it wouldn't happen if it wasn't for them. They're the face of it. As soon as you get here the first person you see is somebody dressed like me with a foam finger and a big smile on their face. It's just terrific.”
Sean’s journey and future goals
The 21-year-old is now aiming for a place at the 2028 LA Olympics representing Team GB after his impressive showing at the scaled-back tournament. Sean was two years old when his older sister disappeared while the McCann family were on holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007. Madeleine has not been seen since.
He competed in freestyle disciplines for Team Scotland, reaching the final and finishing eighth. Currently studying chemical engineering at Loughborough University, Sean previously represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago in 2023, competing in the 400m and 1500m freestyle events. He first took to the pool competitively at age eight.
