Lorraine Kelly ‘opens her eyes’ and signs huge deal with ITV rival amid cuts

Lorraine Kelly was away filming last month and it’s now been reported that she was working on a ‘big budget’ travel show for Channel 4 ahead of changes to her ITV talk show

Lorraine Kelly in a sparkly grey suit.
Lorraine’s show has been affected by the ITV cuts(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly is said to have filmed a “big budget” project for Channel 4 recently. Ahead of changes to her long-running ITV talk show next year, it’s been teased that she’s considering other options that she could explore.

Lorraine, now 65, has fronted her eponymous show for more than a decade, with it having launched in 2010. It was however announced by ITV earlier this year that, from January next year, episodes will be reduced to 30 minutes. It was also revealed that the show will then only run for 30 weeks each year.

Following the news, last month, Lorraine shared that she was away and teased that she was having “big filming adventures” in Norway. She said in a video message on Instagram: “I’m in the land of the midnight sun. It’s absolutely glorious. It’s a project that I’ve wanted to do for years and years, and finally it’s actually happening. I’m heading really, really far north.”

Lorraine Kelly has filmed a new show with an ITV rival
Lorraine Kelly has filmed a new show with an ITV rival(Image: Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Women of the Year)

It’s now been reported by the Sun that Lorraine flew to the country last month to work on a travel show for Channel 4, rather than ITV. A source told the outlet that the broadcaster was “delighted” to have signed up Lorraine for the project.

The source said it was “exciting” for her to do “something different” and to be back on location somewhere. They teased that amid the shake-up at ITV daytime shows, her “loyal” fans will support Lorraine “wherever she goes”.

They said: “Despite the apparent slight in the ITV daytime shake-up, Lorraine’s loyal fanbase isn’t to be underestimated and they will follow her wherever she goes. She’s survived in this business a long time, and she’s a master at rolling with the punches.”

It’s also been reported by the outlet that the production role Head of Lorraine is being axed at ITV. It’s claimed that her two producers are set to instead report to bosses on This Morning.

The source said that it casts doubt on the future of the talk show and claimed that her current contract finishes next year. The source teased: “She’s opening her eyes up to the many options available to her.”

ITV said in a statement: “We have always said that from January 2026, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women will be three editorially distinct shows which will be produced by one team. These changes are not about the performance of the shows or the staff. We can assure our viewers that their favourite daytime shows will remain familiar to them on screen.”

Although best known for her work on ITV, Lorraine has appeared on other channels over the years too. It includes her having been on Channel 4’s the Last Leg on several occasions and she mentioned the show on a podcast recently.

She teased last month that she’s able to be “a bit naughty” on shows away from ITV’s Lorraine. As reported at the time, she said to Tom Kerridge on the Proper Tasty podcast: “40 years in TV last year was incredible. I got a BAFTA. ‘Here’s a BAFTA for being alive.’ I thought, ‘Hang on a minute, I’m not done yet’.

“I think now I can be a lot cheekier. Because I’ve always been a bit naughty. Not so much in the morning, but if I do a wee show on Channel 4, or The Last Leg, or something like that.”

She teased: “You can be unleashed. And I quite like that. You do have to have a self-edit button and I’m finding mine is not operating as much as it should.”

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