Lorraine Kelly made an emotional return to her ITV morning programme on Monday following the death of her father, John, thanking viewers and colleagues for their support during her time away.
The 66-year-old presenter had been absent from screens since announcing her father’s passing earlier this month, having taken time off to be with her family in Scotland.
Speaking to hosts on Good Morning Britain ahead of her own show, Ms Kelly said: “Thank you, I really appreciate that. Thank you so, so much. Thanks everybody for their very kind messages, I really appreciate it.”
Her return followed an outpouring of condolences from fans and fellow television personalities after news broke that her father had died aged 84.
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Lorraine issued the heartfelt tribute on Monday
|ITV
Opening her programme, Ms Kelly became emotional while introducing a segment with Dr Amir Khan on Alzheimer’s, telling viewers: “I’m ok, and everybody has been so kind. Everyone here, of course, because it is like a family, have been amazing.”
She acknowledged the difficulty of grief, adding: “You just have to go through the process. Anybody that’s been there knows how tough it is. It really does help, you see the kindness in people, and that’s just been lovely.”
When Dr Khan said the team had been “worried” about her, Ms Kelly reassured him: “I’m ok. Small steps and we’ll get there.”
John Kelly, a television service engineer, died on January 10. Reports stated he was found injured on an icy path in East Kilbride on Saturday morning and was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency services were alerted at around 7am.
Lorraine Kelly is a well-known TV presenter | PAMs Kelly announced the news on Instagram, sharing a photograph alongside her father and paying tribute to the man who inspired her curiosity.
“My dad has died,” she wrote. “I am mourning the man who bought me a telescope when I was five years old, who watched the moon landings with me and taught me to always be curious and interested in everything.”
She described the loss as a “shock”, despite his poor health, adding that her focus was on supporting her mother alongside her brother Graham.
During Ms Kelly’s absence, Christine Lampard stepped in to host the programme, sending her condolences on air.
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John Kelly was allegedly found injured on an icy path in East Kilbride and was pronounced dead at the scene
|Lorraine Kelly
Meanwhile, Susanna Reid and Ed Balls were among those who publicly offered support, with Reid telling viewers: “All our love to you because of the loss of your lovely dad.”
Several celebrities also shared messages of sympathy, including Matt Baker, Nigella Lawson, Davina McCall and Vanessa Feltz.
Ms Kelly’s return comes amid changes to her programme following ITV cost-cutting measures announced last year, which saw the show reduced to 30 minutes and scheduled to air for 30 weeks annually.
Ms Kelly has spoken candidly about grief and family health struggles on several occasions over the years, including the “heartache” of being separated from her elderly father during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 when he was hospitalised in Scotland and travel restrictions prevented her from seeing him.
In 2021, she also revealed the intense fear her family faced when her father suffered heart failure and what was initially believed to be a cancer scare, later discovered to be a severe infection, describing the period as “awful” as they feared losing him.
Lorraine Kelly has returned to presenting after the death of her father
|ITV
More recently, Ms Kelly has spoken about the emotional strain of caring for her mother, Anne, who lives with chronic kidney failure, a responsibility that led her to reduce her working week to four days so she could spend more time supporting her family during her mother’s declining health.