Lorraine Kelly celebrates her 40 year career with a special documentary – as she reveals TV boss once told her she’d never make it in the industry due to her ‘Glasgow accent’

Lorraine Kelly is celebrating her 40th anniversary on daytime television with a special ITV documentary, but was once told she would not have a career in the industry due to her strong Scottish accent.

The award-winning broadcaster, journalist and author, 64, will mark her incredible four-decade career with a documentary titled “Lorraine Kelly: 40 Unforgettable Years,” airing Oct. 2 at 9 p.m.

It explores Lorraine’s childhood growing up in Glasgow, to her life and achievements to the present day.

The documentary also features interviews with her family and friends, while providing insight into the origins of her work ethic and values ​​that remain with her today.

Her fellow ITV stars and former top performers have been full of praise for Lorraine, with GMB’s Susanna Reid calling her ‘a trailblazer for women’ in the documentary.

Piers Morgan said: “Lorraine is an iron in a kid glove first. She creates a character that people think is very good-natured, very kind and very smiley, but underneath that lies a real journalist.”

This Morning star Alison Hammond added: ‘She’s definitely paved the way for other presenters and people like me who have different accents,

During her four-decade career in the industry, the TV presenter has spearheaded a host of breakfast and daytime TV shows including GMTV, Good Morning Britain and This Morning.

However, she is probably best known for presenting her self-titled ITV show Lorraine during the week – which has been running for fourteen years.

But her journey to the top was not easy as she encountered many obstacles along the way.

Speaking about the challenges she faced when starting out in the industry, Lorraine said: “I was given opportunities that have unfortunately become almost non-existent. I went straight from school to the local newspaper and then to the BBC (after acquiring a bottom drawer full of rejection letters).

‘In fact, the boss of BBC Scotland told me I would never be on TV because of my working-class Glasgow accent.

‘It was actually the best thing that could have happened: that comment prompted me to call the boss of the relatively new breakfast TV channel TV-am, who asked me for an interview and then hired me as a Scottish correspondent (Bruce Gyngell ). was Australian, so didn’t have the same reporter of class bias!).

She added: ‘The high cost of living and working now makes it almost impossible for working-class children from the rest of the country to accept a job in London. That has to change. There should also be more options outside London.

‘We have rightly emphasized the importance of diversity in recent years, but that must also include young working-class people who understand and identify with the vast majority of our viewers. It is in all our interests to ensure that they have the opportunity to make their voices heard.’

Despite such a long career, Lorraine may have had her best year yet after scooping a special award at the 2024 BAFTA TV Awards earlier this year.

The mother-of-one received a standing ovation as she took to the stage to receive the award presented to her by actor Brian Cox.

On receiving the award, Lorraine said: “It really is an extra special award because it comes from BAFTA and I feel very honoured. It’s going to be such an incredible evening and I’m really looking forward to it.”

The ITV star also welcomed her first grandchild this year, while her daughter Rosie Kelly Smith and fiancé Steve White welcomed baby Billie into the world in August.