Lorraine Kelly's family 'stronger' following sudden death of her dad
Lorraine Kelly's dad, John, suddenly died in January at the age of 84.
Lorraine Kelly's family has become "stronger" following the sudden death of her dad.
John passed away in January at the age of 84 after he slipped on icy ground near his and wife Anne's home in East Kilbride, Scotland.
Lorraine got "teary" reading the dedication she penned for him in her latest novel, The Island Secret.
The broadcasting legend added in the new issue of Radio Times magazine: "He died in January, when I was giving the story a last tinker and polish, so he never got to read it."
John is survived by Lorraine, Anne, and son Graham, and the Kellys are still struggling to come to terms with his death.
Lorraine said: "It was a tough January, and we’re not over it; we’re just trying to remember the good of his life, and not focus on the end of it."
The ITV star said the loss has brought her family closer, adding: "It’s difficult, but it’s made us stronger as a family."
Dedicating The Island Secret to John was "very special" for Lorraine, as he and Anne instilled in her a "love of books as a child".
And Lorraine has passed that passion down to her and husband Steve Smith's 32-year-old daughter, Rosie, and 22-month-old granddaughter, Billie.
She said: "They always read to me when I was wee, and I always read to my daughter, and now I’m reading to Billie – the same books I used to read to her mum."
Lorraine faced more heartbreak in January when her eponymous ITV breakfast show's on-air time was slashed from an hour to 30 minutes, and on a 30-week "seasonal basis", because of the network's brutal budget cuts.
Although the changes came as "a bit of a shock at first", they have "actually worked out really well" for the presenter.
Lorraine added: "I’m still there, doing what I love, but [the extra free time] has opened up a whole new world. I can spend more time with my granddaughter, Billie, who’s human sunshine, but also I can really concentrate on writing, instead of trying to fit it in at one o’clock in the morning, or saying to my husband, 'Sorry, we can’t go on holiday because I’m writing.'"
Ultimately, she is "not bothered about my fat face being on the telly".
Lorraine quipped: "My fat face has been on the telly for 42 years, and I think we’re fine."
The star is using her free time to spend more time with her family, including Rosie and her fiance Steve White's daughter, Billie, the "human sunshine" who is "the centre of our universe now".
Lorraine now understands what TV presenter Vanessa Feltz, 64, meant when she said being a grandmother changes lives.
The former recalled: "I thought, 'How can you love them as much as your own child?' But she was right.
"And I’ve got so much more time and patience now. I don’t mind sitting for an hour reading stories or looking at a plant for 10 minutes, or just watching a bee."
