Television presenter Lorraine Kelly has apologised to viewers after being unable to arrive at the ITV studio in time to present her programme on Monday morning.
The 66-year-old was caught in traffic for approximately 90 minutes following an accident on the M40 motorway, leaving her unable to make it to work before the live broadcast was due to begin.
Kelly informed her followers about the situation through an Instagram video recorded from the backseat of a car while she was travelling to the studio.
Explaining the delay, she said: “Hi everyone, it’s Monday morning and I’ve been stuck in traffic for about an hour and a half, trying to get into work.”
She added that she believed an accident had occurred and hoped everyone involved was safe.
Although traffic had started moving again, the presenter admitted she was unlikely to reach the studio on time.
Christine Lampard Steps In as ITV Extends Good Morning Britain
Kelly’s absence prompted ITV to make an adjustment to its morning television schedule.
Christine Lampard, 47, who regularly stands in for the Scottish presenter, was brought in at short notice to host the programme.
Meanwhile, Good Morning Britain, which normally concludes at 9.30am, was extended to cover part of Kelly’s usual broadcasting slot.
Checking the time during her Instagram update, Kelly acknowledged that she would not make the programme and apologised to her audience.
She assured viewers that she would return the following day, saying: “So sorry I won’t see you today, but I’ll definitely see you tomorrow.”
Presenter Says Missing Work Had Been a Longtime Nightmare
In the caption accompanying her video, Kelly revealed that she had previously experienced nightmares about being unable to get to work on time.
She explained that the situation had now happened in reality after the motorway accident disrupted her journey.
“I’ve actually had genuine nightmares about not being able to get to my work – today it was true,” she wrote.
The presenter added that the motorway had been shut following the accident and that she had remained stuck in traffic for an hour and a half.
She also expressed hope that nobody had been injured before explaining that the demands of live television meant presenters could not afford to arrive late.
Kelly ended her message by apologising again and confirming that she expected to see viewers on Tuesday.
Previous Power Outage Also Disrupted Lorraine’s Programme
Monday’s absence came less than a week after another unexpected incident forced ITV to take Kelly’s programme off air.
Last week, a power outage affecting the wider area around ITV’s Covent Garden studios prevented the broadcaster from transmitting Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women live.
ITV announced the disruption in a statement shared online, explaining that the overnight power cut had affected its ability to broadcast the three programmes.
The broadcaster said it would resume its normal schedule as soon as possible.
Good Morning Britain presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls informed viewers about the situation, confirming that their programme would run for an additional 30 minutes, from 9.30am until 10am.
Kelly also addressed the incident in an Instagram video, explaining that the studio had experienced a power outage.
She told viewers that Good Morning Britain would continue as scheduled and that This Morning was expected to return later in the day, once the technical issues had been resolved.
The presenter had been particularly disappointed about missing an interview with Sharleen Spiteri of the band Texas, but said the conversation would be rearranged.
Lorraine Kelly Reflects on Changes to Her ITV Programme
The latest scheduling disruption comes as Kelly continues adjusting to changes affecting her daytime television programme.
Earlier this year, ITV reduced Lorraine from its previous one-hour format to 30 minutes.
The programme was also reduced to broadcasting for 30 weeks annually instead of running throughout the year.
Although Kelly had previously described the decision as heartbreaking, she has since said she has become comfortable with the revised arrangement.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, she acknowledged that the changes had required adjustments across several ITV programmes, including Good Morning Britain and Loose Women.
She also noted that the changes had affected the production teams and the working arrangements of the presenters.
Presenter Says She Remains Happy With Her Television Career
Despite the reduced broadcasting hours, Kelly said she remained grateful to continue presenting a programme she enjoyed.
She highlighted the continued involvement of familiar contributors, including entertainment correspondent Ross King, fashion expert Mark Heyes, royal editor Russell Myers, and medical contributors Dr Amir Khan and Dr Hilary Jones.
The presenter also mentioned several prominent personalities she had interviewed recently, including Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Derek Jacobi.
Kelly said she continued to enjoy meeting people with interesting stories and valued the team that had worked alongside her for many years.
She acknowledged that the programme now had half an hour rather than a full hour but said the team had found ways to accommodate its content within the shorter format.
Kelly added that many members of the production crew had remained with the programme, contributing to a positive working atmosphere as they looked ahead to the following year.
