It is the evening of October 1, 2014 and I am in a room in London surrounded by famous faces.
Champagne flows, canapés whiz by on silver trays and everyone is saying a version of the same thing.
“What an achievement. Three decades on morning TV. Incredible. Has anyone ever done it?”
The party is being thrown by ITV for Lorraine Kelly – to mark the milestone.
From joining the TV-AM team in the 80s as Scottish correspondent, to co-presenting the channel’s flagship programme with tartan blazer, shoulder pads, and chunky earrings.
The Green Goddess came, Mr Motivator went through the revolving studio doors and Lorraine Kelly stayed.
In the years that passed, she achieved the impossible in the notoriously fickle world of the media – she survived.
Show cancellations, culls, new editors, scandals – she worked through it all and 15 years ago was given her own show, Lorraine.
Fast forward a little over a decade to now. Lorraine was recovering from preventative keyhole surgery and after some rest on doctor’s orders, she headed to work.
There, she was told her show was being halved in time from an hour to half an hour; instead of running through the year, would have 30 weeks of air time; and most of the crew would lose their jobs.
That was only the start.
Lorraine Kelly’s bad press is sexist and ageist
With notable exceptions, press coverage was horrific – and comments excruciating.
There was sexism, ageism, Scottish-ism.
So what? One might say “that’s show business, darling.” Things change. Time waits for no one.
For months, there has been a recurring story highlighting how much time Lorraine has off – and how many weeks stand-in presenters are on her titular show.
People seemed incensed – as though she had held a proverbial gun to bosses’ heads and demanded time off.
Having worked in TV across many roles and stations – and on Lorraine for a decade – I know that no one has that power.
And if they do negotiate a cracking holiday clause in their contract, more power to them.
Shouldn’t we be happy a woman negotiated (what I’d imagine) was a contract to have school holidays off to spend time with her daughter?
The only reason Lorraine got her own show and any power to negotiate was because she was the best in the business.
That’s my personal opinion and one borne out by ratings.
Weekly I would appear as a showbiz expert or news pundit.
I will never work with as natural, professional or hard-working a presenter again. She makes it look easy and that is the hardest thing to do.
While we know her for flirting with George Clooney (with excellent interview results) over her career, Lorraine was a first class reporter at some of the darkest scenes in recent history – not least Lockerbie and Dunblane.
People get bad news about work every day – lawyers, bar staff, restaurant owners, footballers. No one’s career is ring-fenced.
But none (footballers and anyone in the public eye excepted) have to deal with the tall poppy syndrome in the press that follows and public vitriol.
If a lawyer, for example, has consistently brought in great clients and results for 40 years, they’d doubtful come in one day to say half their team was axed then face commentary in every newspaper.
The press who write negative stories around Lorraine are out of step with the reality – because you won’t find anyone in the industry with a bad word to say about her.
There is no air kissing acquaintances at a party before looking over your shoulder to see if there’s anyone more “important” around.
And there is no dropping pals just because they no longer work on screen.
Take the time she invited my husband Jamie and I for dinner to her old house in the Ferry.
Another few couples were there – among them her friend Timmy – who turned out to be the one and only Timmy Mallett.
He was every inch of what you’d expect and hope he’d be – resplendent in colourful Hawaiian shirt and interested in every person around the table and had us laughing like drains.
It was decades since he’d left ITV (check out his artwork – including some beautiful Dundee landscapes) but that doesn’t matter – a friend is a friend.
When you’ve been at the top so long, maybe it’s just your time – your five minutes of negativity. It will pass.
Lorraine recently reported viewing figures of 1.1million.
I hope Lorraine stays. For half a Lorraine is better than none – and better than a whole heap of whole others.
And if she doesn’t, good on her. Her future is bright and she has a gorgeous granddaughter to spoil.
She is a national treasure who our screens would be far less rich without.
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