Lorraine Kelly issues clear message amid quitting fears after ITV cuts

Lorraine Kelly has seemingly sent a bold message to ITV chiefs about her determination to keep her show on the air, declaring "I'm not done yet".

Following last month's announcement of ITV daytime schedule cuts, Lorraine's programme is set to be reduced to 30 weeks per year, and cut down from an hour to just 30 minutes.

However, in her first interview since the news broke, she shared her passion for the show and reflected on her four-decade tenure at ITV.

Acknowledging her status as a "national treasure" and a familiar face to viewers, Lorraine commented: "Well, that's nice, but it's only because I've been around for so long. I've been doing telly for over 40 years. It's mad isn't it? It's absolutely crazy. I started in breakfast telly in 1984, and I'm still getting away with it. Extraordinarily."

In conversation with Tom Kerridge on the Proper Tasty podcast, she continued: "40 years in TV last year was incredible. I got a BAFTA. 'Here's a BAFTA for being alive.' I thought, 'Hang on a minute, I'm not done yet,'" reports .

"I think now I can be a lot cheekier. Because I've always been a bit naughty. Not so much in the morning, but if I do a wee show on Channel 4, or The Last Leg, or something like that. You can be unleashed. And I quite like that. You do have to have a self-edit button, and I'm finding mine is not operating as much as it should.

"So, when I'm sitting there and I look at something and I think, 'Gosh, what an absolute k**b that person is,' or how silly they are, I say it and I don't realise I've said it. So I have to watch."

Reflecting on the early days of her career, Lorraine shared: "I remember being so scared about doing a piece to camera and just being unbelievably nervous. And that doesn't go away for a long time. It doesn't ever completely go away I don't think. I don't think it should."

On the podcast, Lorraine also touched upon her recent surgery which led to her absence from television. She returned to screens in mid-May following her laparoscopy, a procedure involving small incisions for internal operations in the abdomen or pelvis.

"I'm good. I had a wee procedure. Everything is absolutely fine. They whipped out my ovaries and fallopian tubes, and everything is fine. It's all good. It was keyhole surgery, which was amazing. I've just got three wee tiny holes," she explained.

"I mean, I've got more holes than that, but I've got three wee tiny holes where the operation happened. So, it's fine. It's all good."

It is understood that shortly after her recovery from the operation, Lorraine was summoned to a meeting with ITV boss Kevin Lygo. He arranged for Lorraine to be told of her show's huge changes separately in a show down in the days before. She is said to have turned down an idea to merge her show with Good Morning Britain.

Just days later, the rest of ITV daytime staff were told that 220 production staff out of 440 would be made redundant as part of the cutbacks.

Lorraine has been a fixture on ITV screens since the launch of her show in September 2010, and has been a regular presence on the channel for 40 years, having previously worked on GMTV and Good Morning Britain.

According to reports last week, Lorraine is fighting to secure the long-term future of her show. A source revealed: "Lorraine was not happy about what is happening and also had concern for the production team which works on her show and will be cut back too.

"But the truth is she has to roll her sleeves up and work harder on her own show than she has in recent years, otherwise the long term future does not look good. She has been an icon of ITV TV but serious cuts need to be made and her show has been cut to just 30 minutes, which after ad breaks will be a very short chunk of time.

"She needs to show bosses it is worth keeping on air. You can expect her to be pulling hard to get big name celebrities on her show instead of GMB or This Morning to prove her worth. She was left in no doubt after the meeting there are some tough times ahead."

Lorraine has a unique bond with her show, likening guest interviews to having people over at her own home.

In discussing her approach, Lorraine previously remarked: "I always say I treat people with huge respect and all of that. I'm inviting them into my house, in a sense."

Yet when it comes to interviewing politicians, Lorraine takes on a different stance.

She recounted: "I always remember Piers Morgan said I was an iron fist in a velvet glove, and I loved that description. He's very cheeky and very naughty, and he makes me laugh a lot. But I like that, and it's very true.

"When it comes to politicians it is completely different. You know what really annoys me. When I first started out you'd get the Secretary of Education and the Shadow Secretary of Education sitting down, and you could have a debate with them. Now, they won't do that. Nobody does that anymore. They actually refuse. And I think it's outrageous.

"Because the whole thing about them is ... I do like to give them a chance to talk, politicians, because people are not daft, and they can make their own minds up about them. I don't like the gladiatorial style, because that doesn't get you anywhere at all."

Her tactic with political figures is subtle yet effective: "Give them enough rope and let them talk, and then you can go in with the wee killer question. At the end of the day, they are accountable to us. But more importantly, to our viewers. You've got to make sure you ask what matters to people and their lives."

After holding politicians to account, Lorraine finds solace in the soothing sounds of the Shipping Forecast on BBC Radio 4 before bedtime. Despite confessing she has "no clue" about its content, it's her nightly ritual.

She said: "Do you ever listen to the shipping forecast? I do. I have no idea what she's going on about. Not a clue. But it's very reassuring. I feel reassured. I feel I can go to sleep at night, and I don't even know what it's about."

Amidst the turbulent news of cuts to staff and her own screen time, hopefully the Shipping Forecast continues to provide comfort. Lorraine has dropped anchor at ITV and doesn't want to leave.

Lorraine airs weekdays on ITV1 at 9am