Television presenter Lorraine Kelly says one of her recent career moves was ‘hard’ but admits she ‘loved every minute of it’
Matt Jackson Trendswatch Content Editor
14:58, 15 Jan 2026
Lorraine Kelly made an “emotional” admission about one of her recent projects(Image: ITV)
Lorraine Kelly made an “emotional” admission as she says her husband has been “picking up the slack” while she works on her latest career move. Lorraine, 66, has been a regular face on television screens now since 1984 when she made her debut on TV-Am.
Since then she has worked on the likes of GMTV and Daybreak. She launched her own eponymous talkshow Lorraine on ITV in 2014 while also serving as a stand-in presenter on Good Morning Britain.
Lorraine’s career however has taken another turn in recent years as she released her debut novel The Island Swimmer in 2024. The TV star has now opened up about the moment she sees someone reading her book or spots it sitting on the shelves.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Saturday Live, she said: “I’ve loved every minute of it, I made the usual rookie mistake that I think anybody writing a book for the first time does where you manage to lock yourself away and carve out the time to do it, I overwrote.
“I threw everything at it, I had far too many characters in there and far too much going on so I had to go away and have a wee think and get it all pared down a bit, but I really enjoyed that process as well. It’s been hard, it’s not been easy, but I’ve absolutely loved it.
Lorraine has recently branched out into fiction writing(Image: ITV)
“There’s nothing like seeing somebody read your book, or seeing your book on the shelf, it’s actually really emotional to be honest with you.”
Lorraine says husband Steve Smith, who she married in 1992, has been “really understanding” while she has been working on the novel. She continued: “It is but I think that is why I’ve loved it so much, because it’s so very different.
“You’ve only got to please yourself in a way and you’ve got to be a wee bit selfish though, because I just locked myself away and my husband would give me cups of tea and biscuits and what not. He was really understanding and picking up the slack and going shopping and basically you know, keeping up with everything, but it’s been a joy.”
Lorraine Kelly and husband Steve Smith(Image: Instagram)
Glasgow-born Lorraine is set to release her second novel The Island’s Secrets later this year. Similar to her first book it will be set on Orkney.
Lorraine added: “I’ve almost finished the second one and it was always going to be set in Orkney, it’s beautiful.”
She even found herself travelling to the island for inspiration. She said: “I would be living up there if I could, take my whole show up there and just do everything from Orkney.”
Meanwhile she will be returning to screens tonight with Lorraine Kelly’s Norwegian Odyssey from 8pm on Channel 4. The programme will follow Lorraine as she travels along the Norwegian coastline taking in the epic fjords and stunning mountains before reaching the volcanic islands.
Beginning her journey in Alesund she will complete the journey in Hjorundfjord, achieving the long-held ambition of witnessing the Northern Lights. All the while Lorraine will get to experience the cultures and cuisines of Norway.
