Lorraine Kelly was thrust into the role of peacemaker as she attempted to diffuse tension between Paul Whitehouse and his wife Mine during a live on-air spat concerning an “announcement” they were set to make.
The couple graced the ITV show to publicise their latest podcast venture, I’m ADHD – No You’re Not! when the uncomfortable situation unfolded, leaving the Scottish presenter bemused.
The bickering commenced subtly, with Mine nudging her spouse Paul to reveal their “announcement”, though he missed the cue entirely. Mine’s irritation escalated as they bickered with Mine exclaiming: “You told me I wasn’t allowed to say anything,” trying to provoke her husband into disclosing news of their imminent tour, but Paul remained clueless.
Unaware of the matter at hand, the comedian took the chance to laud his wife for her MBE accolade in King Charles’ New Years Honours list for her contributions to early years education and a neuroscience-based understanding of the developing brain, reports .
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Paul couldn’t understand what his wife was asking (Image: ITV)
He said: “Oh the MBE…,” but Paul was briskly interrupted by his wife: “No, the thing you told me I wasn’t allowed to mention.” The disagreement continued in real time as they juggled what exactly Mine was trying to imply.
The conversation took an awkward turn on Lorraine’s show as guest Mine hastily mentioned: “But it’s not my MBE,” as Lorraine interjected adding: “It is your MBE,” and tried to deter any further live bust ups. “No, but thank you I am very proud,” replied the podcast star.
“What’s the announcement then,” asked Paul who couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation. “You said ‘don’t say anything, I’m going to say it’ and I said ‘alright you say it’,” retorted Mine.
Paul and Mine clashed on-air over their tour announcement (Image: ITV)
Lorraine and Paul chimed in sync, adding: “What!” As Mine stated: “Tell them about the…,” and leaned in to whisper in Paul’s ear. “Oh blimey yeah we’re doing a couple of live shows,” added a bemused and red-faced Paul.
To smoothen the atmosphere and avoid any on-air disagreements, Lorraine queried: “Is this your first tour Mine?” The doctor confirmed it was their first joint venture but expressed excitement about their collaboration.
Earlier in the chat, the discussion had centred around Paul’s stint on Two’s Gone Fishing with his close mate Bob Mortimer. The iconic Harry Enfield alumnus revealed that their on-screen adventure transcended mere angling; it was an opportunity for two pals to bond, partake in a mutual hobby, and face Bob’s severe health issue head-on, spreading awareness in the process.
Lorraine simmered down the squabbles (Image: ITV)
The inception of Gone Fishing traced back to 2015 when Paul sought a way to aid Bob’s recuperation from a life-saving triple bypass heart surgery, which uncovered a shocking 95% arterial blockage.
Bob’s health hurdles continued with a prolonged bout of shingles resulting in severe muscle deterioration and frequent reliance on a wheelchair. Paying tribute to his co-star, Bob praised Paul’s unwavering support in remarks to the Mirror: “I wasn’t very well and it made it a bit of a struggle but, as always, Paul looked after me and pulled me through.”
He divulged further challenges they faced during filming: “For half of the season, I couldn’t walk so it was very challenging at times. When we were in Trent, I was being taken from a wheelchair to the top of the bank. You never see that but you never see me on my feet either.”
Lorraine airs weekdays on ITV1, from 9am.