opened up about being “crushed” upon hearing the devastating words from a superior: “You’ll never make it in TV. Not with that accent.”
The beloved ITV presenter was honoured in the special documentary, Lorraine Kelly: 40 Unforgettable Years, where she recalled her unexpected career journey. Initially aiming for a Russian degree, Kelly’s path took a turn when she opted for journalism at her local paper as a junior reporter.
Her aspirations were shaken, however, by the boss’ harsh judgement on her accent just when she landed her dream role, leading to a moment of soul-searching for Kelly. Despite this setback, she didnt give up, bolstered by Alison Hammond’s heartfelt affirmation in the documentary that Kelly trailblazed for presenters without the ‘Queens English’.
Reminiscing in the programme, Lorraine shared her determination to succeed: “After five years at the East Kilbride News, I felt ready to move on. I was always wanting to test myself, so I thought, ‘I wouldn’t mind having a try at the .'”
Kelly narrated her relentless pursuit of a break at the , saying, “Well I applied for every job under the sun at the , and eventually I think I wore them down. They gave me a job as a researcher, and they used to send me out to do vox pops and talk to people,” reports .
Lorraine was emotional on her ITV documentary (Image: )
With aspirations of becoming a television reporter, she recollected the anticipation before the crushing blow, “I thought, ‘I’d love to be a reporter on TV one day’. That was the aim, that was my absolute ambition. The big boss pulled me in to the office one day and I thought he was going to offer me a job,” she confided.
“I remember him taking his glasses down and looking at me and he said, ‘You’re never gonna make it in television. Not with that accent. You’re gonna have to go and get elocution lessons or it’s never going to happen. I was crushed.”
Lorraine was told she’d never make it on TV with her accent (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Elsewhere on the programme, Lorraine’s mother made a delightful appearance, leaving viewers absolutely gobsmacked by the striking similarities between the two. An enthusiastic fan promptly went on X to exclaim: “Lorraine’s mum looks so much like her!”
Moreover, the episode saw the return of former GMB anchor lending his insights as a guest pundit marking his bold reappearance following his dramatic exit from ITV.