Lorraine Kelly is reportedly planning her next big project away from ITV, with two new ventures in the works. The 66-year-old presenter's contract is said to expire next year, and she has not signed a new one. Sources claim she is considering launching a YouTube show and a podcast with her daughter Rosie.
The move comes after her ITV show was cut from an hour to 30 minutes in January, with over 220 jobs axed across daytime programmes. Key members of Kelly's team lost their jobs, and she is said to have been 'appalled' by the changes. The show 'hasn't been the same since', according to insiders.
Kelly is reportedly seeking advice from former Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan, who hosts the successful YouTube series Uncensored. She hopes to emulate his global audience and bring back her former team. The podcast, titled 'Mother to Mother', would be co-hosted with Rosie and feature celebrity mum guests.
A source told The Sun: 'Lorraine is older now, but she's far from retirement. She would like more time at home with daughter Rosie and granddaughter Billie without the pressure of travelling to London for just half an hour on screen.' The source added that Kelly's social media following is huge, making online ventures likely to succeed.
However, a representative for Kelly insisted she is happy with her current show and that any podcast activities would be complementary. The rep stated: '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.'
Kelly has been with ITV since the 1980s, working as a news anchor and launching GMTV in 1993. She was famously sacked a year later for taking maternity leave but returned with a mum and baby slot that led to her own show. Now a national treasure, she earns an estimated £13,000 a week and has a net worth of £4 million.
