Lorraine Kelly's Candid Health Call: Breast Checks Essential for Future Grandparenting

Chat show host Lorraine Kelly, 66, embraces her role as a doting granny to two-year-old Billie, viewing it as her “real job” outside of the studio. Her desire to be present for Billie’s upbringing has spurred significant lifestyle changes, including a notable reduction in alcohol consumption and a dedicated focus on fitness. Lorraine emphasized that being a granny has provided her with a new lease of life, opening up an entirely different world.

To keep up with her energetic granddaughter, Billie, who is her daughter Rosie’s child, Lorraine attends weekly strength classes and enjoys swimming. Both she and her husband Steve are regular gym-goers and find joy in walking their dog in Buckinghamshire, where they now reside after moving from Dundee. Lorraine highlighted the demands of toddlers, noting, “You’ve got to be alert and aware and be able to follow them.”

Lorraine’s awareness of physical vulnerability stems from a severe horse-riding accident in 2012. During training for a charity event, she was thrown and trampled, with the horse stamping on her right thigh, narrowly missing her femoral artery. The incident required a four-hour emergency operation and months of recovery. Reflecting on the near-fatal experience, she stated, “It makes you realise no one is invulnerable,” and admitted that the trauma has left her terrified at the prospect of Billie taking up horse riding in the future.

Beyond her personal life, Lorraine is a fervent advocate for women’s health, particularly in promoting long and healthy lives. She recently launched the second annual National Check Your Boobs Day, an initiative stemming from the Change + Check campaign. Now in its seventh year, this vital campaign was co-founded by Lorraine and her close friend Helen Addis, a breast cancer survivor, with the aim of raising crucial awareness about the disease. Lorraine describes it as the most important campaign she’s been involved in, underscoring its personal significance.

The Change + Check campaign continues to expand its reach and impact. This year, the NHS will distribute the campaign’s poster to all GP surgeries, while 100 Asda stores across the UK will feature a Check-O-Meter to encourage shoppers to pledge to self-check. Those unable to visit a store can make a pledge via ITV’s Lorraine website. The campaign has already demonstrated tangible success, with over 250 women – and one man – including Davina McCall, crediting the campaign’s stickers with prompting them to check themselves and detect cancer early.

In Scotland, despite an 11 percent drop in breast cancer deaths over the past decade, it remains the most common cancer in women, claiming 1000 lives annually. A survey by Asda revealed that a third of the UK population still doesn’t perform self-checks, with Scotland ranking as the third worst area at 37 percent. Lorraine is actively seeking political endorsement, noting that former prime minister Keir Starmer endorsed the campaign last year and expressing her hope that First Minister John Swinney will follow suit. She is determined to ensure Scotland does not lag behind in this critical health initiative.

Lorraine’s personal history also connects deeply with the cause, as her maternal grandmother, Granny Mac, battled breast cancer. This family history reinforces Lorraine’s commitment to self-care, as she consistently attends mammogram checks and performs self-examinations in the shower every couple of weeks, stating, “It always makes you more determined to look after yourself.”

Since its inception in 2019, the Change + Check campaign has been prominently featured on the Lorraine show on STV, with various high-profile promotions, including performances at the Palace, climbing the O2, and closing the Royal Variety Show with Marti Pellow. Last year, Lorraine garnered attention by posing topless, inspired by the Calendar Girls, to promote awareness, playfully using