Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Lorraine Kelly

Episode Date: July 13, 2020

Emily chats to Lorraine Kelly over a stroll with her border terrier, Angus. They talk about Lorraine's childhood dreams of being a fighter pilot, why Piers Morgan calls her ‘an iron first in a velvet glove’, and how she fell in love with her husband Steve.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And especially in times like this, but we don't really have control over great big giant things. But we do have control over how neat our knicker drawer is. And mine is a thing of beauty and joy. It's so neat. This week on Walking the Dog, I chatted to one of the most adored faces on TV. It's only Lorraine Kelly. We didn't do it in person because of lockdown. And we're highly responsible citizens, I'll have you know.

So instead, Lorraine and I caught up on the phone whilst walking our dog separately. She was with her border terrier, Angus, in Berkshire, and I was with Raymond in North London. Lorraine talked about wanting to be a fighter pilot when she was growing up. I can so see her in those aviators bossing the skies. How she got into TV as a local news reporter. She told me all about her husband Steve and her daughter Rosie, and we also touched on why Pierce Morgan refers to Lorraine as an iron fist in a velvet glove. Lorraine also told me about her book Shine, which is a really life-affirming read, and I thoroughly recommend it.

And I need to drop in that she's very proud to be the face of tales.com, which is a food subscription service for dogs, where everything is tailor-made and delivered to your door, so check them out. It was a fairly blustery day, so apologies if you can hear the odd Gus flowing through our mics, but look, it's a small price to pay to hear the LK. The woman is just a total joy. She should be available on the NHS. sort it out now someone. Please rate review and subscribe

if you enjoyed our chat. Here's Lorraine. I'm just coming to pick Angus up because Steve's had him out this morning. This wee dog has never had more exercise than all his life. And Steve is your other half. He is. Hi Angus, a little baby.

I noticed Steve didn't get a hello. No, he's all Angus has ran up to see me, so he's fine. Come on me, baby. He's going crazy. He's going nuts. I know, I know, baby, I know, I know, I know. I think we might put your lead on because you're most likely to run over.

Do you know, when Lorraine was saying, I know, baby, I know, I fantasised that she was my mother then, and it felt really nice. So this is Walking the Dog. I'm Emily Dean. And I'm not here in person with because me and my guest are both responsible individuals and we're social distancing.

But I'm on the phone with, Well, we're both on our separate dog walks. I'm going to go full on national treasure, Lorraine Kelly. I'm just walking by the banks of the Thames. I live near Maidenhead. And there's some fantastic walks here all around sort of Cuckham, Coocham Dene, where we used to live years ago, so we know it quite well. And it's just lovely.

And it's actually, I don't know what I would do without this dog. He's just brilliant. The only thing is at the moment he looks a little bit like a burst kid. because he was due to be stripped. He's a border terrier and he was due to be stripped. And of course, we've not been able to do that. So he's just a big ball of fluff. It looks about three times the size that he really is.

And Angus, you know, he's part of your routine in a way as well, isn't it? He's basically my son. He's the son that I never had. And he's just, he is so much part of our family. And he needs a lot, you know, he's got bundles and bundles of energy. so much energy and he needs you know he really needs to be

walked and to be exercised and he used to put him to I mean he honestly is like a child but he used to put him to this me place like once a week so that he could meet other dogs and he'd got loads of friends so I think he's quite missing that

I'm with my in North London and we're in a park near here and he's meeting he's just met someone so I'm going to leave them to chat because I didn't have to meet friends Lorraine Oh, it's so cute. So do I.

And they just, I like, they do this thing, though. I don't know if he does it, but Angus does this kind of Mexican standoff. Sometimes just eyes them up for ages. And then, of course, they go crazy and run about. I know. Or sometimes he lies down. And he does yoga as well. He does, he's a yoga dog.

He does downward dog. He has this mad sort of pose where he just sort of, he's like a sphinx. He's strange. He's a cracking bee dog. funny and he's got a great sort of temperament you know and like I say he would walk all day I mean we've had him out for miles and miles and miles not so much now because we're only allowed out once a day but before all of this he would keep going all day you know we've had him up in Orkney

and you're obviously keeping him on the lead but he loves it on the islands he loves it up in Orkney and he loves the fresh year and he just gets all excited and it's great you see the joy, it's the joy of dogs isn't it? And when I get back from work

that enthusiastic welcome I mean I could have been away for two minutes or two weeks Is this proof we're in Middle Age that it used to be the joy of sex now it's the joy of dogs absolutely Absolutely. Are the joy of food?

It's more about what you're having for your tea and what you're going to get up to, that's for sure. Did you always love border terriers? Because Angus is a border terrier. Yeah, I mean... We did. We had lovely, lovely Rocky who was smashing. He was a great riddle. We're just at this special place that he likes by the river,

so I'm going to have to let him go in. He likes to swim, and obviously, he likes to drink the really disgusting river water, rather than the nice water out the tap and he always goes for the bit of the river that's full of mud and rolls about in it, of course. But yeah, he loves that.

Right now he's actually swimming in the river, believe it or not. But he's fine, I'm keeping an eye on him and he doesn't go out too far, he doesn't go out too far at all. And he sort of more paddles a wee bit, but he really enjoys it. It's just really funny to watch. If I lived with Lorraine Kelly,

I would not be straying too far from home. Now I'd luck out. So tell me around about the border terrier things. Because yeah, so your other dog, you lost Rocky. Yeah, oh Rocky was smashing dog. Absolutely brilliant. We had him when Rosie was little. Steve's a cameraman and he used to work in a show called Vets in Practice.

I don't know if you remember it. Smashing show. And he was, because Rosie was saying, oh, you know, she really wanted a dog. And we were really, you know, we thought, yeah, that would great. And it was all the vets actually said to Steve, border terriers are your best bet because they're great with kids, great personality, you know, they're full of energy and they're very loyal and they're good fun. So yeah, that's why we went for border terrier.

And we were so lucky with Rock. He was a smashing, smash and we dog. But when he died, I really, it was really hard because I thought to myself, well, I do, you know, I would like another dog. But you never replace them, do you? You don't replace them because you can't. You can't replace a person. You can't replace a dog.

But we knew eventually we would want another one. And finally that I moved down here and I wasn't commuting up and down to Scotland all the time. And we, you know, because you can't, that's not fair on the dog. You've got to make sure that your lifestyle suits. such the dog. Did you have dogs because you grew up in Glasgow? Yeah I did. I grew up in the gorbils actually so we had a wee

one now it would be called a a bijou studio flat but it was actually called a single end it was just one room for me and my mum and dad and we never know we never had dogs my mum wasn't a big fan and of course it's turned out to be the biggest fan of all of Angus and adores you know so it's quite strange

so I said we used to had dogs growing up but my mum and dad both worked and again it's not fair you've always got to consider consider your read-all. Come on, baby. Come on, galen. Come on. Good boy. Good boy. Oh, you're so clever. Your mum, I was fascinated to read this, Lorraine, because I read your book, Shine, which I really recommend people read because I found it so life-affirming. It's, you know, your thoughts and lessons for life. Yeah. It's like a mate saying to you, look, this is what I try. That's how I read it. That's exactly what I was hoping for. And that's exactly what I wanted to do, because it's like,

you know, I turned 60 and I thought, I've learned all this stuff over the years, and it would be quite nice to kind of give some of that back a wee bit because there's no point in amassing knowledge or amassing experience and then not passing it on it just seems a wee bit daff not to do that. Well I loved it because there was things like those exercises

you can do and I did some of them and it's things like list your most negative qualities and then list why they're good. Exactly. Put the good spin on it which is great. I was interested to read more about your sort of childhood in that book because I didn't realize, you know, that your mum was really young when she got pregnant with you, wasn't she?

She was a baby thing, she was 17, but she's so young. So, so young. Now, the thing about it was, which was good for me growing up, was my mum and dad were into things like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and my mum wore miniskirts and, you know, beehives and Mary Quant makeup and all of that. So whereas most of my friends' moms and dads were a bit sort of, I guess you could say, fuddy-duddy. You know, sort of very much, my mum and dad were very much the 60. even though I was born in 1959 and my friend's parents

were the 50s. You know, they were kind of black and white and my mum and dad were in colour. I think it was how that's how I sort of thought about it. You know, that's the way it seemed to me. You know, my mum and dad, it was like we would dance to Dusty Springfield and my dad fixed television

so that seemed terribly glamorous, you know, and we were one of the first ones to get a colour telly. In the days where there was like three channels and you had to go up off your bottom to switch the telly over. You have to get up and switch it over. Can you imagine? Because your grandmother, your mum's mum,

I was interested to hear that she was not keen for your mum to have the kid, which I guess is understandable for the kid. Sorry, you, right? You, no, me. No, that's true. My grand was all in favour of my mum coming down south and me being given up for adoption.

But it was really my dad, said absolutely not you know he was I mean he was from the gorbils you know from a I guess what I mean for me it was I had a great childhood and I was very lucky but yeah my dad just said to my grand no I'm sorry we're getting married

and that's it and my grand was really formidable will you stop grabbing that lead your cheeky monkey he does this quite a lot the man's not talking to me by the way that's angry that's angus that's angus come on baby good boy

so that must have taken your dad that makes me think that your dad has quite a strong character in some ways. To be a 17-year-old boy and to stand up to someone from an older generation and say, yeah, and a very, very formidable, yeah, very formidable lady. It was, it took a law and thank goodness he did. It's one of those sort of sliding door things that you don't know what your life would have been like. I mean, who knows?

It's really, it's quite strange. I remember when I was about 10, so that would have been 69. My mum and dad were thinking about going to Australia. You know, they had that thing. They were called 10 pound poms. And you paid 10 pound and you went in a boat that took forever in a day and made a new life for yourself in Australia. And they thought about it.

And I think in the end, my mum didn't really want to leave her family. And, you know, they ended up staying there. And I often think about that, about how those decisions by your parents could completely change your life. You know, it's quite remarkable. It was like, they really wanted me to go to university. and I would have been the first one, big, big deal, you know, in a working class family, I would be the first one to go to uni and my mum would have got that picture on her mantelpiece,

you know, with a scroll and the hat and the cloak. And I went straight into local news, my local news thing was dead. And always with a slightly horrible background. Into my horrible grey brown. So I went to my local newspaper at East Cobride News because that's what I always wanted to do, you know, I always wanted to. Well, actually, I wanted to be an astronaut and then a fighter pilot, but that didn't work out. So it ended up being a journalist.

Hold up, Lorraine Kelly, we're not glossing over that detail. You wanted to be a fighter pilot. I think that shows a lot of ambition and I always use that in a positive sense. You should always be allowed to follow your path and not feel that you're supposed to do this or supposed to do that.

But back in the 70s, I mean our career's advisor when I said, I wanted to join the idea if it could be a pilot. And they just laughed. I mean, they literally laughed. And of course, now it's all changed and we've got women in the red Dados, which is the best thing ever. I love to see that.

Oh, well, I have a theory about that, Lorraine, which is like, people who make a success of their careers, I think whatever they did, do you know what I mean? I don't really believe in like, so I think, had you been a fighter pilot, had you, you, you were aiming pretty high, you know, for a girl in a one room in the gauble's. But do you think your parents in still, what do you think you got from them, like your mum and dad as individuals? Oh, gosh. I got a massive work ethic

never ever to take anything for granted never to have a sense of entitlement you have to work you have to work and they always had this thing as well that you you really made you know you sort of whatever you wanted to do you could do and to go for it I mean they taught me to read and write before I went to primary school

that's four and a half and I could read and write which gave me a massive advantage over everyone but they weren't pushy. They just did that because, you know, like it's that thing of that, you know, my dad was very, very bright, should have gone to you and he, oh, that sang is chasing a crow.

You're never going to catch a crow. But yeah, I think work ethic was the main thing that you have to work, you have to work hard and you have to put in the graft, and I think that stayed with me forever and ever and ever, and I think that's probably why, you know, I have, I'm still around, you know, because I put the graft in, I put the work in.

You've got to. Were you popular? little rhyme? I wasn't a cool kid. I wasn't one of the cool kids. I was a bit geeky and a bit swatty. And also because my mum, I mean, like, you know, my mum worked, she worked in a shop. My dad takes the tellies and they worked really hard so that both myself and my brother, you know, we only had about two or three things to wear, but they were good and they lasted you. So I did get a little bit bullied at school because I was called a snob, which was hilarious. And I don't know, maybe there was a little bit of envy there because

you know we had, my mum and dad were great and they were always there for us and they were always at parents' evenings and, you know, picking us up from school and stuff like that. So yeah, there was a little bit of that. It sort of went, but I was never cool. I was never in the cool gang. You know, I was a bit of a dweeb, to be honest.

A bit of a geek. But actually, I like being a geek. Quite proud of that, really. I think it's quite a good thing to be. I don't mind that. You know, if you're a wee bit different or you're a little bit of an outsider or you know whatever it may be kids as a group as a rump sometimes pick up on that which is really sad and the trouble is as well with bullying it certainly hasn't happened to me but I know it happens to a lot of people is bullies don't just

stop being bullies you know once they leave school sadly these people can take that into the workplace and that's what's so good about about now that's why I'm you know I think it's great young men and women get into the workplace now if something isn't right they will they'll sing out they'll say no this is acceptable and that's fantastic that that feeling of feeling different and other sometimes that can result in you carving out your own path and you know it can be a beneficial thing sometimes can't totally it can make you stronger i think certainly if you look at um you know i always find when i'm interviewing somebody who's interesting or you know they're very creative or they've achieved something incredible usually they've had a little bit of a hard time not always

ways, but usually there has been something in their life that they've got to overcome. You know, everybody always says you're stronger, you know, with you what doesn't kill you makes you stronger kind of thing, and that can be true, that can be true. Oh look, Lorraine, why's eating daisies? Does Angus eat daisies?

Oh, can you see everything? I mean, I didn't want to say, but he was just whittling around there in a cow pat and he may well have had a little few crumbles, disgusting boy there is. Eleven's for him. So tell me about, so you turned down this place at university to read, you could, you were going, your plan was to read English and Russian. Yeah, that's right, English and Russian.

And then what happened? I got a job at the local newspaper. A job came up as a cub reporter in the East Cobride News. And I applied and got the job, which I was absolutely delighted to do. I still think they aren't the sort of heart of the community if it's a good paper. Yeah. And I loved it. I couldn't have got a better training. It was absolutely fantastic. And then after that, I got a job at BBC Scotland. I basically applied for everything. So yeah, I got a job as a researcher, which I absolutely loved. But always what I wanted to do was be a reporter. That's all I wanted to do. So I had to work during the day as a researcher. And then I worked at night as a waitress in a cocktail bar. There's a song about that. And I was.

bad. I mean, like, beyond bad. Oh, I was dreadful. But I get good tips just because I was like a comedy turn, you know, I was so dreadful. But I'll tell you what, it gave me a huge respect for anybody that does that job because it's blinking hard. It really is. I mean, the hours are so long and, you know, and people can be, people can be really lovely, but they can also be horrible. So that was, that was quite hard. But I've always worked out. I worked since I was 14. I used to work in Chelsea Girl. And I really, I really enjoyed that. I used to get a pound. I got 25 pounds an hour, and I was allowed if you were 14 and you got a special permit and you were allowed to work for four hours on a Saturday.

I'm saying you as I might have been quite, you would have sounded like you were very together and adulted quite young. I think so. I think that is, I do know what you mean by that. I think because I was the oldest. Yeah. And my little brother was six years younger than me. And of course, I was a spoiled princess.

And then this child from central casting appeared who had the biggest blue eyes, blonde curly hair, wee tubby face was like a cherub. And I hated him. And I was horrible to my wee brother. And I got on really, really well with him now. But he's still now and again, he'll bring up the time that I used to nip him under his wee fat arms because he was just so gorgeous and annoying. Do you think it was just jealousy?

I suppose it was natural, isn't it? Oh, I. Of course it was. Absolutely. Of course it was. And also, we brothers are, you know, that's their job. Their job is to be really, really annoying. Yeah, of course. And so when you went to, you ended up, I was fascinated again to London because you covered Lockerbie.

Oh, it was hellish, Emily. It was absolutely hellish and it's really weird. Sometimes when you least expect it, like say you're in an airport and you're crossing the tarmac and smell the fuel. You know, when they're refueling and you can smell it and it brings the back. It really does. It was horrendous. I think the only way, I was quite young and also it was so surreal. And I just, I think I got through it, I think everybody got through it that was reporting on it by just thinking this is a movie, this can't be real. You know, this cannot be real. And you kind of blank it out a little bit in order to survive.

And of course you've got a job to do. You've got to tell the story, tell people what's happening, try and make some sort of sense of it, although that story you can't. But yeah, that was really bad. And you know what? I did think to myself, earlier on that year I'd covered the Pipe for Alpha disaster where so many people had died in that fire in the oil rig in the North Sea and I thought that's the worst thing ever

and then I thought well lockerby nothing can never be as bad as that but then I covered Dunblane that was the worst ever the worst ever and I think as well because Rosie was only two at the time and that brought it home even more I mean everybody felt that you didn't have to be a mum to feel the pain

of the parents but I think when you've got a child of your own it just made it an awful lot more yeah harder to be here really awful. When I covered Lockerbie, that was in the December and that's the kind of thing about the kind of job that I do and the show that it is because of course it's news and current affairs but it's

different and back then there weren't really shows there was no 24 hour news back then and we could be more if you like more involved more like speaking to the viewers and speaking for the viewers and being there for them if you like. So after Lockerbie, I got asked to come down and do just a week. That would have been in the January just for a week to sit on the sofa, which is very strange. Angus, Angus, come here, baby. What's he doing?

He's going to be hinder tree for a widow. Was that good? Oh, he does weebies everywhere. Yeah, so does way. I mean, he's addicted to peeing, Lorraine. I don't know what to do. Every second he does it. What is it?

What is it about Boydoll? that they pee on literally everything. There's not a tree, a shrub, a bush, a wee stick. He's got to pee on it. It's like, I don't know. It's like, I'll show you what's going on and I'm the boss. It's hilarious. You suddenly found yourself on TV AM, you know.

Yeah. And didn't an executive tell you your accent is beautiful? Yeah, that was crazy. That was when I worked at BBC Scotland and the boss of BBC Scotland. I was working there as a researcher, but they used to send me out to do the end finalies, you know, or if they wanted to do a box pop,

like going out and talking to the public about something silly, they would send me because they would say, I don't talk to you. So I would go and ask traffic wardens and policemen and nuns or whatever, you know, what they thought about the latest fashion or whatever was the crazy story. So I thought when the boss called me into his office that I was going to get, I knew there was a job going as a reporter,

but no, he said, I'd never make it in broadcasting with my accent. and back then nobody spoke like me nobody spoke like lovely aiming or like Anton Deck you know they just didn't they had this sort of RP quite posh and nobody really spoke with me so I guess maybe he had a point in a sense but then what was really good was

sometimes things are sent and at the right time there was a job going at 2am in Glasgow to cover Scotland and I've probably wouldn't have gone for that. But I just thought, well, there's not going to be a future here, but maybe it'll be all right there. And TVIM were, they were like, well, we need a Scottish person and I got the job. So that was great. So again, there's the fighter pilot coming out again, you see. Not taking no for an answer. And then phoning up. I mean, I would never, now I would have, there's no way, I would phone up a TV executive and ask for a job. For goodness sake, I'd be too shy.

I'd be too shy and silly. But then, I guess, you know, know when you're young you just think oh well what have I got to lose and I think that's great I think you should hang on to that you should never lose that sort of sense of well you know nothing ventured it's a fairlessness isn't it a wee bit a wee bit and sadly I think I've lost that a bit which is a shame I think that happens to you should get older which is a shame I was intimidated by people by the way they spoke the restaurants that they ate in and the way that they lived their lives. It's completely alien to me. So I was

a little bit of an outsider but sometimes that's no bad thing. But yeah I still get, you know, I still sometimes I'm not very good at the whole kind of red carpet malarkey. I don't really know anybody that likes that. I mean, I don't see how you can. You know, you get all done up like a dish of fish and then you parade up and down

this, only I don't parade. I sort of like keep my eyes down and run as fast as I can. And I don't really like all that aspect of things. I mean, don't know, it's lovely. For me, you know, one of the great big joys of the job it's getting to see movies before everybody, but not at premieres.

I like to go to wee screenings, and that's really, really good. Oh, so you can hear that big dog? Oh, my gosh. Angus, let's give him a wide berth. It sounds like a ham of the Baskervilles. He is, the hound of the basketballs. It's the biggest dog I've ever seen. Come on, me, man.

Social distance. He's like, I want to find out about when you met Steve. Yes. Yeah, I want to know about Steve. I love the sound of Steve. I think I really get on with Steve. And not in an inappropriate way,

but he just sounds like he's been such a great companion and you've got a good thing, you know? Yeah, he's a good guy. I'm very lucky. Did you fancy him when you were working with him and think, oh, he's nice behind the camera too? I knew as soon as they walked in as soon as they walked into the office

and of course there's only four of us it's teeny tiny no covering the whole country how mad is that but yeah as soon as they walked in and we were pals that took me a whole year we were friends for a year and then we went to

Glen Cole to do a mountain rescue story and we might have had a few small sherry oh there were you with the full sileashes no you're just in the state up me because of course the thing about me was I never bothered with how I looked which is weird for somebody who works on telly and I was always getting into trouble for my hair being a mess and not having any makeup on and so I was never a glamorous face never um when you get together with the

friend which I think's a nice way of doing it because you've got to know them well there's always got to be one who breaks cover that was me I just said oh you know I can't even remember what it was But then he asked me out to go and see Dunder United against Hart. So that was a romantic time. And I love football. And I love, obviously I've supported Dundra United ever since. He's a big Dundee United fan. So that was great because we had a brilliant team then.

And that was really good. And then we just kind of started going out. We're together all the time. And then when I get, when I had to come down to TV AM to do the, sofa. I used to travel. I used to go home every weekend back up to Dundee every weekend. And it worked. And my mum, I always remember my mum saying, well, you know, you work when you're together 24-7. And it works when you're apart. So clearly, it's supposed to be. And I honestly, honestly, don't know what I'd do without him. It's been, I mean, he's the poor soul. He's been putting up with me

for years. Actually, nearly 30 years. I always think there's a Laurel and a Hardy. You know, so there's a slightly quieter one, you know, who's a bit more reflective, and then there's the one who's a bit, maybe sort of more a bullion in social situations. I'm definitely a quieter one. Yeah, I am. I'm definitely quieter one. Yeah, he's brilliant. I mean, he's the person that you want at a party.

Not in a loud, annoying way, just you know that it will be good fun and that you'll have a laugh, and he's interesting and interested. That's the thing about Steve. He's always interested. He's like me in that sense, very curious and nosiness, some people might call it in my behalf. But yeah, he's always, he would be the one who is much more sociable than me, definitely much more sociable. He'll be the one that will say, let's have folk round or let's have a party. In a way, you're on every day.

Do you know what you mean? You have to do that and you love your job and you're brilliant at it. But in a sense, it's work. You know, when you have to do it all the time, you need to de-press a bit and social. there's probably pressure on you because I think there is that thing if you walked into a room I think because people sort of fantasise about you being their mum or you've grown up with you and they almost feel as if they know you do you know what I mean I think there's a reward to you where I can imagine you would get slightly descended upon you know that everyone would want a bit of Lorraine

and maybe that's nice that he's slightly and it's very welcome but it's like maybe that's nice that he'd take some of that pressure off in a way. Definitely. No, I think you're absolutely right. And I am much, much quieter. And obviously, it's different when you're with your face. When you're with your pals, you can totally relax and all of that. But yeah, I think you're right. I think you're right. And I find that

very restful. You know, that he can do, he's quite happy to do that. Because, I mean, people would be amazed probably to think that I'm in any way shy. But I really am. You know, I'm quite shy. I don't find the, you know, it's like I was saying to you, I don't find the whole celebrity in this thing.

I mean, I don't ever think of myself as that anyway. And I'm not very good, I'm just going under a tunnel, can you hear. I'm not very good at that whole sort of red carpety thing or anything like that. I don't really do that very well. What I like about you, Lorraine is there's Piers Morgan, I think, called you the Iron Fist in the Velvet Glast. He's funny. I like that description I do too

I do I think every woman should be an iron fist in a velvet club I can ask questions even if they're you know a little bit difficult there's always ways you can do

and I'm not gladiatorial here's is very gladiatorial that says styling it works very well for him but I'm not really like that but I'll still ask the same kind of question and sometimes you get more with honey than vinegar

so you know it can't it can't actually work for you and especially if it's something quite delicate you know somebody's had a problem in their life or a problem in their relationship and it's tough to talk about you have to give them the space to do that it's a little bit like I'm inviting you into my house so I treat you when you come into the studio and as if you were visiting me at home and you have to feel comfortable and relaxed especially when you're talking about things that are so hard and so personal and so important. My thing is always, like, especially, you know, when I was talking to you about your booking about your life,

you have to go away feeling that you've done yourself proud. And, you know, you have to go away feeling that, yeah, I did a good, you know, I feel happy with myself. And even if it is something really hard as well, especially if it's something really hard. So that for me is always the main thing. You know, I always say that at the end when we have our debrief. You know, I'll say,

I would have said, did Emily go away? Was she happy? Was she all right? She wasn't, you know, she didn't find it too upsetting or whatever. Because that's, you know, because it really isn't about me. It's always about who I'm talking to. Because they're the most important person. Always. Although what I like, Lorraine is you have that, but then the iron fist part I'd like is when you'll suddenly, you'll suddenly, there was that famous moment with the Jennifer Akuri who'd had the alleged relationship with Boris Johnson. that normal sort of handing over which we're all used to where you say oh and meanwhile coming up on Lorraine Kelly standing there saying what's the point of that oh for you can't see silly women

she came up honestly i couldn't believe it and that's why i loved what i do because you're like you can do things like now i don't do it very often because it takes an awful lot to get me annoyed i am not a person that gets riled easily she sat there simpering and i just got really annoyed can't you What is the point? Are you coming on here and sitting there something and not tell me anything? Just go away. Don't annoy me. I don't do it very often,

I really don't, because then it doesn't mean anything. But, you know, if you annoy me, I'll let you know. What would Rosie say about you as a mum? What would you say was the best thing about you and the worst thing? I'm going to make you do it.

I think worse thing would be that I'm just asking her too many questions and I'm too interfering and I want to know everything. And this thing that she knows that she actually doesn't have to tell me everything because I think it's really important I'm her mum and not her friend because she's got her pals to talk to about everything I think she knows that I'm always always on her side

and it wouldn't matter what she did or what she said to me or anything she knows that I would always back her and always be there for her I hope that she does know that for goodness sake of course she does but that's for me that's a given if you're a mum

but sadly you know I know a lot of people who for one reason and another their people parents turn their back on them, whether it's about their sexuality or their lifestyle or whatever. I just don't see how you can. It baffles me. I just don't get it. It's interesting, though, when you say that about the friendship thing, because I suppose, I guess it's, you know, your friends tell you what you want to hear, your mum tells you what you need to hear. That's very good. And let's be honest, your mates often support bad life choices. Your mates will go, no one noticed you were drunk and, you know, it's a great idea to go out with that guy who's

I know, I know, and you're like, run to the hills, very bad. I know. When you say you're going to text that guy who's been ghosting you, your friends go, yeah, I'm sure he's just been busy. He'd love to hear from you,

whereas your mum's like, leave it. No, leave it, leave it. She's never given me any heart take, really. She really hasn't. She's a good, good kid. And Lorraine, I want to ask you something because you also,

I love that you said in Shine Your Book, which I love, You were really honest about just that whole thing about sometimes just having down days, which everyone does, even you. Sure. Oh, absolutely, absolutely. When did you not cry? Jesus. I nearly went this morning because we had a fantastic nurse on who, God love her, she's only a kid.

She's only in our early 20s and she had to postpone our wedding in order to work on the front line. And we get a message from our gorgeous fiancé. and she was crying and Dr. Hilary was nearly gone as well. But yeah, I think it's all right to cry and it's all right to feel bad cricky, especially just now, for goodness sake. Everybody has their ups and downs and everybody has their bad times

and everybody has their little wobbles or more than wobbles. We all do. We absolutely all do. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that whatsoever. It's a human condition and it's okay. As long as you talk about it, As long as you talk about it, and that's really, really important, you know, that you talk about if you're ever feeling anxious or upset.

I mean, I felt anxiety, obviously not as bad as anybody going through, you know, a real trauma or a real, you know, mental illness is a terrible, terrible thing. And we're only now beginning to understand and be, if you like, have empathy for people who've got mental illness. It wasn't that long ago that it was dismissed as somehow that you were weak. I mean, how crazy. It's just crazy when you think about that. So, yeah, it's about, I think it's just about acknowledging it and talking about it, making sure that you talk to your pals and don't bottle it all up because that's just crazy. Yeah.

Well, actually, I found it helpful when I heard you talking about your miscarriage. And I found that really helpful because, you know, I've had friends that have gone through that. And it did make me think, I don't know if I've sort of considered the impact as someone who hasn't experienced that, that must have had on them. And that's very helpful for other people to know that, you know. I think so. I mean, what I found really upsetting about that whole time, and that was, you know, it was a long time ago.

And it wasn't really talked about. And of course, nobody ever talked about the effect it would have on your partner or your husband. Or, you know, it was all kind of like, you know, you shouldn't really talk about these things. But you've got to. And what I found appalling was how common it was. And I thought, you know, that. I know people were being well-meaning and they're saying, oh, you know what, this is very common and it happens to so many people. And that just made me feel worse because I thought there's so many people that are going through this.

That's horrendous. So you have to, you know, you have to kind of acknowledge these things and give them their place in your life. And it's okay to mourn and it's okay to mourn the life that you thought you were going to have. And also to make sure that your husband or your partner is okay as well. And do you think on reflection you soldiered on a bit of? it. Oh, I do. That's me. That's totally me. It's just like, no, it'll be fine. It'll be fine. I've encountered people where I feel they're investing slightly too much in this thing, which is a job, essentially. And you just think, no, keep your life set, right? This is fine, but it's like you always put your ballet pumps on and you take your shoes off. To me, that's very symbolic of how

you treat your career in a way. I do. I think it's like you're saying, this was me and this was around it's great but now I'm going back to Steve and Angus and that's valid life and proper, proper life, yeah. And the first thing I usually do is take my makeup off. I mean, Helen, who does my makeup and has me doing it for years is a genius. Absolutely genius, but there's nothing better

than putting your comfis on. And at the moment, I've just got different degrees of comfy that I'm wearing. I mean, what I've got on just now is like not that bad but what I wear at home is like, you know, the really the horrible grey ones that have been washed and washed and washed, and washed, they've got holes in the bottom. But you still wear them because of comfy.

I loved it when I saw you on a show and they always ask you who's your favourite but I loved it when you said oh Kevin Spacey was a real knob Oh he was awful He was the worst He was not nice person No no no do you know what it is

See the thing is your instinct was right it turned out Yeah I know I know that was And it was such a shame because you know When you really like their work That I love house of cars At the time house of cars was the big big big thing And he just was rude and you just you just think oh mate you know you're an actor can you not just act being a nice

person for 10 minutes that's all we're asking you to do but it's when i always find it's like it's not so much how people treat me but it's how they treat the person that's bringing them a cup tea or the person that's putting their microphone on or you know if they're if they're offhand with them and downright dismissive then i think nah nah nah nah nah no no and then you just get somebody like hugh jackman where everybody round about is beaming with happy and they're all so, you know, so delighted to be there because he, you know, they set, oh, there's cows ahead of us. Oh, Angus, no. Steve, you see, I think is probably a good benchmark as well. He's a good litmus test because

whenever someone's famous and you notice people just gravitating towards that person and totally acting as if their partner isn't there and doesn't exist. Oh, I don't like that. It's so good. But I think it's really useful when you see that because you're like, okay, you just failed. Yeah, I know what you mean Oh, we all know that there are people who really wouldn't be bothered with you if you were not on the telly

and that's a wee bit sad Mind you see, I don't have celebrity pals you know, I don't really, but then I suppose I do but to me they're not it's just like my gang you know, it's like it would be Mark

who do my fashion with or Dr Hilary or you know any of the gang that I work with but they're my work colleagues in the same way that they would be my work colleagues I worked in a restaurant or I worked anywhere. They're your pals because they're your pals, not just because, oh, there's another count. Have you ever had therapy?

And would you have that? No, I haven't. Oh, absolutely. Of course, if I needed it, you bet. I mean, why wouldn't you? Yeah. You know, I think because anything that I've gone through, I have had Steve to talk to.

I've got my mum. I've got my best friend, Joyce. We've been best friends since I was 11. And so I've got people that. that I can talk to. Having said that, if I felt that I was really, really struggling, I would have no hesitation at all in getting professional help. I think it's absolutely the wise thing to do. I mean, if you had, you know, if your feet were, if your feet were weird, you go to a foot specialist, don't you? So, I mean, of course, you should always, always get that.

Sometimes actually, it's a good idea. You said that you're impatient. Tell me about some Lorraine Impatient moment. So what would you, When do you get impatient with people? Are there any situations? I guess if people, I think it might be the fact that I talk in sort of like 10 minute chunks with guests. So people not get into the point. You know, it's like get to the point for good to sake. Or yeah, or yeah, people doing, sometimes people doing interviews.

Like see some of these briefings. How dare you. And then you have the questions. You know, they know these briefings they have right now. and then you've got questions afterwards. And I think, for the love of God, ask a straight question. And if you don't get a straight answer, go in with the killer second question. Don't just waffle.

So that annoys me. Waffling. Yeah. Wuffling annoys me. But it takes a lot. I'm absolutely terrified. I'm living on the edge now. There you go.

Also, I love that you've opened up about the menopause. It's really helpful that women are talking about it now, because there was a time when it was a secret. I know. How mad is that? It's crazy. It's going to happen to all of us. Sadly, sometimes it happens to women soon, you know, if they get ill or just, you know, bad luck or whatever. Women started talking about it.

We did approach a few people, a few women in the public high, and most of them said they didn't want to talk about it because they felt that that would make people feel that they were old. And I thought that was really sad because, I mean, I don't know, I'm very open about it. And, you know, I take HRT. I know that doesn't work for everyone. but it's been a game changer for me and it makes me feel better it gets rid of the anxiety

I found I just got very anxious and that's not me and I couldn't understand it and I felt if I'd lost myself for a while. It was really strange. Really bizarre so in the end what we did was Dr Hilary and I just had a chat

about it on the show about my experiences he sort of interviewed me you know for a change there is a cue every morning of people it's like you know I've got a sore bum I've got a sore elbow

blah blah whatever and he's just brilliant he's so good I think he knows me even more than my husband in many ways he's very good but um yeah we've got a great response about the menopause and it got a debate going and that's all you can ask you know if you make it easier for people and then you know we try to give facts but we also try to give a bit hope as well which I think it feels real particularly if you're putting yourself on the line and opening up and I think that does make a difference you know I know You know, Jonathan Ross always says when he's watching people on telly, he says that's the difference between, I guess, the great and the good, is people that you feel authentic and you feel, oh, that's then, you know, which is something that you have. Everyone wants you to be their mum. You're the mum that everyone wishes they'd had.

The mum that would take them out and get them incredibly drunk. No, because I feel you'd give me tough love advice. Yeah, well, that's true. There'd be the odd Boris Johnson's alleged girlfriend moments where you'd say, what you're talking about? What's the point of that? Yeah, and I'm pleased.

But then I think you've given me hugs and you love me and look after me. I'm asking you to be my mother, Lorraine. It's all gone a bit strange. It's all fine. I'm very happy to so do. I was very impressed. In addition to your OBE

and all your other accolades and achievements, you're an ambassador. Not in the traditional Ferreira Roche sense of the word, but you're an ambassador for tales.com. Oh, tails. It's lovely. Tell me about tails then. Well, it's just a great idea.

You can order food from them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And loads and loads of advice, which is smashing it. And what I think makes it really special is when you order the food, it comes to you, but it says the name of your dog on it. So it's tailored to your dog. Oh, it doesn't. Yeah, which is great. So Angus gets treats saying with Angus on it and food saying with his name on it.

And obviously, because all dogs are different. There you are. You're cuddling your wee dog in Humpton Harwich. So he needs different food to Angus who's always on the go, you know, typical border terrier and running about like a wee crazy thing. So yeah, it's all about tailoring the food to your specific dog. And of course, right now, being able to do that online is just such a joy, you know, to be able to do that. and know that it's going to get to you and you're not going to run out. I think that's really good and it's just easy.

I mean, anything that's going to be easy for you and he loves it. He loves his wee sticks in the morning and he loves his treats. He really likes things with beetroot in them which I have to say that I don't. So it's a subscription service basically. Yeah, yeah, you sign up but as well as that

it's kind of like you, yeah, he could go, just giving him a treat. You kind of are part of a community and you know what? He does actually, he'd run around all day and his wee coats and a really good apart from the fact that it's huge because he's not being he's not being stripped he's not been groomed but he just he just looks great so it's good and it is it's that thing of if you've got any worries they've got a vet that you can get in touch with and especially just now there's a

real kind of online community and it's a good yeah it's just really good anything you know what it's like we do anything for always want to go back in the water what are you doing well you said a nice thing about angus which i love you said which i related to having lost my family you you You said when Rosie left and you got Angus, you said it was nice to have another heartbeat in the house. And that, I'm not going to lie, it made me well up a bit. I know, it's true though, isn't it? I think it's really, really important. And it's somebody, you know, I take care of him.

I look after him and I want the best for him. And I think that's really, really, really important. And yeah, I just, because we've all got that in us, isn't it? We want to nurture and care for them. But do you know what? He gives me back much, much more than I give him. you know I mean I might give him food and you know a nice place where he really can

basically he basically sleeps wherever he likes I know that you're not supposed to do that but he can go whatever he wants so he get on the bed with you and stay oh I'm good of course of course he has done that since he was a puppy usually he does that when I've just changed the duv and spent like 15 minutes

battling to get on and then he comes running in with his wee muddy paws and you just think oh but you can't be you look at that wee face you cannot be cross it's impossible to be cross with that wee face. You're a bit of a neat freak Lorraine as well. I am, I am. That's interesting. That's interesting. I like me.

Control. Control. It's all a bit control. I think so. And especially in times like this, but we don't really have control over great big giant things. But we do have control over how neat our knicker drawer is. And mine is a thing of beauty and joy. It's so neat. It's colour coordinated. I've got my big knickers and my wee knickers depending on what sort of state my bottom is. and yes, it's a joy It's very good

You heard it here first everyone Lorraine Kelly's Nickerjoy is a thing of beauty and joy A thing of beauty and joy Absolutely But that's interesting I'm envious of Are you type A Lorraine

Do you know what I'm in by that Those people that are very driven And tidy and organised And those are my heroes Because I guess I am a little bit But I think I don't want to be that

That stiff And unyielding and unvending You know I like to sometimes let my hair down I don't do it as often as I used to. But yeah, I think that's important as well. I think you've got to have fun. You know, I think sometimes you can go along a road

or, you know, along train tracks and you're very focused on all of that. But sometimes you just need to get a little bit drunk and a little bit silly. Yeah. Because that's important as well, you know. And also I think what's what this whole madness has taught is, you know, we always say it and it's true about friends and family.

oh my goodness me I miss my mum and dad and I'm obviously miss my daughter I miss cuddles I mean Angus is not a cuddly dog is he not no he's not word of time he's generally not cuddling you know he won't sit in your knee that much and I have been cuddling him and he's kind of tolerating

it but he's not that happy about it and you can see me he goes all stiff in Scottish you know he goes all kind of like oh okay then you can cuddle me but will you please not take too long I've lived with people like that he doesn't really like it but you'll put up with it you'll put up with it but that's probably

quite good you see because I think Ray I've sort of made him I mean he is cuddly but I think I don't want him to be sort of I know but I think I'm turning him into the sort of Anthony Perkins you know in psycho that's my feeling right

oh they're so no you'll be fine he's gorgeous he's got a great wee nature and he's so cute He's like a wee pajama case. He's beautiful. I always say to people, what do you most worry people will say about you when you leave the room? And what do you hope they'd say? I hope they say she's a laugh and she's really funny and I want to spend more time with her.

I would hate people to say that she's really boring and really dull. And I really can't be arsed with her and I don't want to hear any more of her nonsense. I think that would be terrible. I'd be devastated. I'm sorry to tell you. What did your mum say when you got the OBE? Was she thrilled? Oh, they were.

Both of them, my mum and my dad. I mean, it was just like, oh my God. And when it happened, it was with the queen, which is amazing. In Edinburgh. Oh, shut up. You didn't get the queen. I got the queen. And do you know what?

My mum afterwards, mum said, oh my God, what did she say to you? She was chatting away. And I was, I don't know. You know that way when you're so nervous that in your ears, all, you can hear it's your own pulse going, da-da-da-da-da. like your heart beating. And I was crying and I couldn't hear a thing she said. She could be saying anything.

She could be saying, you know, we would like to welcome you into her family and, you know, you can marry Harry or something. Could you imagine? Can you imagine her sitting in Buckingham Palace saying, that's very rude of Lorraine Kelly not to get back to me when I made her that very generous offer? I couldn't hear it. I just couldn't hear what she was saying.

But she's so teeny tiny and she's just like, it was like being in front of the whole. of Great Britain you know this little tiny lady and it was fantastic and it was a great excuse any excuse for a party so it was terrific it really was it was a lovely lovely day it's one of those days you want to put in a little box and put a ribbon on it and then when you're feeling a bit down open it up and remember it you know it was just great it was great would you say you were an optimist or a pessimist I think I'm an optimist yeah I would always say that I would always say that they always try to find

the light even in the worst possible scenario, you know, I was trying. You know, and sometimes I would imagine sometimes that can be very irritating, but I do try. I should let you get on with Angus now. What are your plans? Are you going back home now? Is he going to have a bath? Yeah. He's been in the water. He's absolutely

minging. He smells weird. So yes, I'm going to give him a right good old scrub and then dry him. And of course, just now it takes ages for him to dry because he's wee furrows so long. It's been lovely and we'll do it again properly

when all this is over we'll just go for a proper, proper walk and a right good blather. Bye, baby. I really hope you enjoyed listening to that and do remember to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes.