Lorraine Kelly has candidly discussed the profound challenges she faced after being dismissed from her television role shortly after giving birth to her daughter, describing it as a "very dark time" in her life.
A Freelancer's Uncertainty
The veteran presenter, who began her career as a trainee reporter at age 17 and made her on-screen debut in 1984 as TV-am's Scotland Correspondent, revealed that she has always operated as a freelancer. Speaking on Pete Wicks' Man Made podcast, Kelly explained: "I'm a freelancer, I'm a taxi for hire. I don't take anything for granted, I certainly don't."
Reflecting on the early stages of her career, she recalled living "from contract to contract" and never knowing what would come next. This precarious existence became especially acute after the birth of her daughter Rosie, now 31.
The Sacking and Its Aftermath
"After I had my daughter, that was a really bad time - just after having a baby, you're really all over the place," Kelly said. "And I got sacked… or didn't get my contract renewed, virtually the same thing, and that was a very dark time."
She elaborated: "It was a really hard time because everything is just taken away from you and you're like, what the hell am I going to do? So, I basically lived from contract to contract."
Rebuilding and Success
Fortunately, Kelly managed to rebuild her career, eventually fronting her self-titled ITV show since 2010. Despite this success, the 66-year-old grandmother of one says she still does not take her career for granted. "Even now, I don't know what's going to happen. Nobody does, we just don't know. But certainly since I've become a granny, I've absolutely been able to live in the now because she does," she said.
Adapting to Change
Since January, Lorraine has aired fewer episodes as part of a major ITV daytime schedule shake-up. Both her show and Loose Women were reduced to 30-week runs, while Lorraine was cut from an hour to 30 minutes. Addressing these changes earlier, she told Woman magazine: "It's a different world we live in, isn't it? I'm a realist and I knew there had to be cutbacks and changes. There are so many more outlets now, and television has to cut its cloth in every single department. It's not like it was."
Despite the restructuring, she remained optimistic: "This is just another change - and who knows what will happen in six months? They might want to expand it, they might not. Who knows? I love my job, I love working with these incredible people, so we just get on with it and see what happens. Nothing ever stays still."
Lorraine has not been on air since 26 March, but is expected to return in its usual 9:30am slot on 4 May.
