Lorraine Kelly says she’s kicked middle-age into touch

LORRAINE KELLY’s looking trim and glamorous, and is happy to announce that she’s personally kicked middle-age into touch.

“I’m 57 and know I’m heading towards 60, but I can’t believe it,” she says.

“As far as I’m concerned, I feel 28 at the moment, with even more enthusiasm, energy and positivity than I had then.”

The Scottish TV legend, who has been a familiar face on breakfast-time screens for three decades and has presented her hugely-popular daily talk show, ITV’s Lorraine since 2010, has devised her own recipe for keeping ageing at bay.

She’s transformed her appearance over the last couple of years by losing two stone, is now a size 10-12, and has a new outlook on food and exercise.

“I’m happy with the way I look — something I never expected to say at this age,” she says.

“I really think I’ve found myself. It’s down to making exercise part of my life — I do a cross between Zumba and 80s aerobics — and actually enjoy it as it makes me feel good and relaxes and destresses me.

“In fact, I don’t feel right unless I’ve done my regular sessions. I’ve given up diets — I’ve tried every silly one there is and they made me miserable.

“Instead, I try to eat healthily, apart from some treats.

“After all, you can’t beat a curry and a glass of wine! But, because I’m more active, everything balances out.”

There’s not a trace of smugness about this down-to-Earth presenter, who, as a mother-of-one with a demanding career, recognises only too well how women juggling the demands of work and family life struggle to prioritise themselves and their appearance.

“Women put themselves at the bottom of the list, which goes kids, husband, work, dog, goldfish, friends and then themselves,” she says.

“We’re all inclined to go: ‘I’ll buy that when I’ve lost half a stone,’ but sometimes, you just have to say: ‘No, I have to do this for me as it’s important.’

“I’ve been there myself and realised, if I could make time for my favourite TV programmes, I could make time for my health.

“My personal satisfaction nowadays is that I’m happy to show off my arms as before, I always used to wear cardies to cover up that area.

“These days it’s not about having a perfect body, it’s about real women.

“It’s about sending out a message that it doesn’t matter what age you are — 40, 50, 60, 70 — it’s about realising: ‘Hey, you’re in your prime!’ I say go for it. Life is short and don’t put things off.”

“Go for it” is an adage she lives by. The Glasgow-born presenter, who began as a reporter on Scotland’s TV-am, seems to effortlessly manage a host of stars and guests on her show, and is widely considered one of the nicest women on TV.

“Well, I’m glad people say I’m nice — the alternative would be awful, wouldn’t it!” she says, laughing.

“All I know is, my grandmother and mother always drummed into me: ‘Treat people the way you want to be treated’, and that’s what I do. Anyway, it must be such an effort to be horrible to people.

“I truly do have the best job.

“Recently I’ve interviewed astronaut Buzz Aldrin, second man on the moon, Oprah Winfrey, Hugh Jackman and Tom Hanks.

“Although I don’t get nervous, I do get star-struck. It was so lovely to find that despite their fame, both Tom and Hugh were without ego and natural, nice people you could easily go and have a drink with.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, mention of the word “retirement” is greeted with a firm “No”.

“Eamonn Holmes and I have both said we’ll still be working on Zimmer frames,” she smiles.

“They’ll have to get a big hook to get us off.

“Seriously, while people enjoy watching, I’ll carry on, but even if it came to an end, I can’t see myself ever stopping work. I’d continue to write and do other projects.”

Away from the world of celebrity, her family is at the heart of her happiness. Kelly, who recently launched a new collection of homeware, Lorraine At Home for JD Williams, has been married to cameraman, Steve Smith for 25 years.

She spends the week in London and returns to their home in Broughty Ferry, near Dundee, every weekend.

Their daughter, Rosie, 22 is working abroad.

“Although Rosie’s left home, I’m in touch with her regularly, so I’m not feeling empty-nest syndrome yet,” says Lorraine.

“We’re very close and while you never stop worrying about your kids, I’m so proud of her.”

Lorraine, who’s spoken in the past of having had a miscarriage when Rosie was five, admits: “I’d have loved more children, but it didn’t happen.

“I don’t feel sad about it. Rather, I feel blessed to have one happy, healthy child.”

She recently returned from travelling from the South Atlantic to South Georgia with Steve, to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

“Spending three weeks together on our own and seeing somewhere I’ve dreamt of visiting since I was little was wonderful,” she says.

“I think relationships stay strong when you never take the other person for granted and stay interested in what they have to say.

“What’s really important is the fact that Steve makes me laugh all the time.”

Read Lorraine’s column every week in the Sunday Post and catch up online here.