Lorraine Kelly talks loving Poldark, struggling with Bruce Willis and her staying power
The daytime TV host reveals her TV likes and dislikes ahead of the Lorraine High Street Fashion Awards
What have you enjoyed on TV recently?
I loved Poldark. I was really worried about it as I was a big fan of the original. I was obsessed with Robin Ellis [who played Poldark] and had a girl crush on Angharad Rees [Demelza]. But it was brilliant. Poor Aidan Turner – although it made a nice change for the guy to be talked about for being beautiful!
How do you watch TV: live, on catch-up, or box sets?
I love binge-watching things like Better Call Saul and Bloodline on Netflix. But when it’s a big event like Coronation Street, Broadchurch or Poldark, it’s good to watch it along with the rest of the country to see what everyone else thinks of it.
Who was your first TV crush?
Mr Spock, he was a beautiful man. I watched Star Trek with my dad as a child, and it’s amazing to think this was a programme that promoted equality in gender, race and sexuality, before man had even landed on the Moon.
What’s on your bedside table at the moment?
A book called South, about Ernest Shackleton, who is my hero. It’s my dear desire to go to the South Pole one day.
Which reality show are you least likely to turn down?
I wouldn’t do any of them. I love dancing but I’d be awful at Strictly and not even in a funny way. We had Anton Du Beke on Lorraine recently and he was trying to talk me into it, then we had a dance in the ad breaks and he said, “Oh, you’re as stiff as a board.” Celebrity Big Brother would be bottom of the pile. As would I’m a Celebrity: I love watching it, but who wants to eat a kangaroo’s bum? Not me.
Which celebrity interviewee have you been impressed by?
Meryl Streep. She had no entourage, nothing. She just sat down and asked me if she had croissant crumbs around her mouth. And she’d had no work done to her face, you could tell. We all have a few crow’s feet, but she looked incredible. She’s a class act.
And the most disappointing?
I try to make everyone feel comfortable, but some people just don’t enjoy being interviewed. Bruce Willis is notoriously difficult, and that wasn’t much fun.
It’s the Lorraine High Street Fashion Awards this week. Are high-street shops getting better at providing clothes for a range of women?
Yes, they’re a lot better when it comes to plus sizes, maternity wear and, particularly, more mature women. They’ve realised that there are lots of women aged 50 and over who still look good and want to dress reasonably fashionably.
What’s your secret to looking good?
Diets don’t work, for a start. I walk everywhere, have an incredible fitness instructor and do zumba, which is basically like going to a nightclub without the booze.
Do you ever worry you will be seen as past your prime and replaced by a younger woman?
Never. I think daytime TV is different – viewers like that familiarity of someone they know, and I’ve lasted 30 years.
The Lorraine High Street Fashion Awards is on ITV on Wednesday 20th May at 8.30am
