Lorraine Kelly was joined by a very special co-host on Friday’s edition of Lorraine
Lorraine Kelly confused viewers on Friday(Image: ITV)
Viewers of Lorraine were in for a surprise as they discovered the host, Lorraine Kelly, presenting the Friday edition of her ITV programme – with an exceptionally special guest.
Defying the norm, Lorraine, who typically does not anchor her show on Fridays, introduced viewers to her co-host for the day: her granddaughter Billie. It’s been nearly a year since Lorraine’s daughter Rosie gave birth to Billie, and the television presenter shared updates with her audience, mentioning that Billie now has “two little teeth” and, while not yet crawling, is starting to stand.
During the show, Lorraine attempted to engage with fashion expert Mark Heyes about his recent appearance on The Weakest Link and transitioned into discussing tips for packing for summer holidays. However, it was baby Billie who stole the spotlight with her cheerful gurgles and playful waving of her toy.
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Mark pointed out a smudge of red lipstick on Billie’s forehead, prompting Lorraine to confess, “That’s me, I can’t stop kissing her.”
Billie’s excited squeal upon receiving a book from Lorraine was met with adoration, and Lorraine was so taken with her granddaughter’s on-screen charm that she humorously suggested Billie could return to discuss fashion or even tackle complex global issues, quipping, “Do you want to come on and do fashion? Or should we talk about the Middle East? Because you could probably solve it better than the rest of them! Okay, I will leave you with your book about Mr Astronaut,” reports the Mirror.
Lorraine’s new co-presenter didn’t escape the attention of viewers, though many were taken aback to see her appearing at the start of the weekend, given that typically presenters such as Ranvir Singh and Christine Lampard have previously filled in for her.
Baby Billie is almost a year old
One asked: “How come she’s in on a Friday. Is it end of term party?” Another said: ” Lorraine is hosting her own show – on a Friday.”
Of her co-host, one viewer quipped: “Wait till she smacks granny in the face with her toy,” whilst another was swift to dub the little one as Lorraine’s “new intern” on the programme.
Another commented: “Bring a baby to work day on Lorraine today I see!” whilst a different fan wondered whether the baby had a “choice on whether they wanted to be on national TV” to begin with.
One viewer was particularly harsh in their criticism, stating: “How unprofessional being the child into the studio. He was discussing packing etc. you showed no interest. I was cringing for the poor guy.”
During a later segment of the show, Billie rejoined Lorraine for the fashion portion where she wore a romper and appeared completely at ease on the set of her grandmother’s programme.
At one moment, she let out a chuckle and Lorraine gently bounced her before she spent the remainder of the segment peacefully perched on her grandma’s lap.
However, this wasn’t Billie’s first television appearance alongside Lorraine, as the infant was previously featured during a Christmas special when she was merely two months old.
Her initial debut occurred just weeks following her birth when Lorraine proudly presented the baby girl to her millions of viewers with a short appearance in October 2024. Lorraine shares a daughter, Rosie, with her husband, Steve Smith, while Rosie has welcomed little Billie with her partner, who coincidentally is also named Steve.
The 30-year-old has carved out her own path in media, collaborating with her mother on their What If? podcast where they’ve chatted to numerous celebrities.
Last September, Lorraine expressed her delight at becoming a grandmother for the first time following Rosie’s delivery.
The former Masked Singer participant took to Instagram to share her excitement with followers, writing: “I have been BURSTING to share this wonderful news with you! Baby Billie is an angel and I’m so proud of @rosiekellysmith and @stevewhite94 who will be the best parents. I’m delighted to be Granny Smith and can’t wait to go on adventures. #love #joy #happiness #family.
Viewers were wondering why Lorraine was hosting on a Friday
“Posted with @withregram @rosiekellysmith Baby Billie Kelly Smith-White is here 29-08-2024. It feels like she’s been here the whole time and we’re not quite sure what the point of anything was before.
“I’d heard how amazing midwives are, but they are genuinely walking angels – she’s been welcomed into the world with so much love already.”
During her pregnancy, Lorraine shared how “organised” Rosie had been, expressing her excitement on social media: “She’s so organised and we all can’t wait to meet the new baby girl (I may or may not have a bought a few wee bits of clothes for her) [laughing emoji] I think granny is going to be my favourite title of all time #baby #happy #excited #notlongnow #love #family.”
Lorraine is on ITV1 weekdays at 9am and ITVX