Lorraine Kelly CBE to receive BAFTA Special Award

Lorraine Kelly to receive one of BAFTA’s highest honours for her outstanding contribution to television

The surprise announcement was revealed live on air this morning on ITV’s Lorraine

The Special Award will be presented at the BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises ceremony on Sunday 12 May, broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer

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Image credit: BAFTA/Oliver Mayhall

London, 25 March 2024: Today BAFTA has announced that award-winning presenter, journalist and author Lorraine Kelly CBE will be presented with a BAFTA Special Award at the forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises on Sunday 12 May 2024, at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

The BAFTA Special Award is one of BAFTA’s highest honours, recognising an outstanding contribution to film, games or television. Lorraine Kelly was told of the news for the first time by presenter Susanna Reid live on air during her BAFTA-nominated weekday show on ITV, Lorraine, which she has hosted for thirty years. The clip is available to view here.

Previous BAFTA Television Special Award recipients include David Olusoga, Nicola Shindler, Clare Balding, Idris Elba, John Motson, Henry Normal, Nick Fraser, Lenny Henry, Delia Smith and Cilla Black.

2024 marks four-decades of Lorraine Kelly’s unstoppable and impressive broadcasting career, as a hugely significant presence on daytime television. Lorraine has reported on every notable event in recent modern history, from Princess Diana's death, President Trump's presidential win, The Queen's death and The King's Coronation. Her interviewees have included Prime Ministers, Hollywood luminaries, Oscar winners, Olympic athletes and members of Royalty. She has tackled sensitive topics in factual shows and raised awareness of numerous important health issues on her daytime shows, most notably her Change + Check breast cancer awareness campaign, and is beloved by the public for her candid presenting style and charisma on-screen.

Lorraine Kelly CBE said: “Finding out on-air this morning was a massive surprise – what an honour to the recipient of the BAFTA Special Award. A huge thanks to everybody I’ve worked with on screen and behind the scenes over the years – the people who make Daytime TV are very special people. Now I have to go and look for a showstopping frock to wear to the Television Awards on 12th May!”

Hilary Rosen, Chair of BAFTA’s Television Committee, said: “Lorraine Kelly has been a sparkling presence on our screens for over 40 years and is one of the most well-known and adored stars of Television. On ITV’s Lorraine she displays a mastery of disarming guests with her warmth and relaxed approach and always manages to make the daily demands of live broadcasting look easy. She combines quick intelligence with genuine empathy, tackling tricky subjects with skill and sensitivity and uses her platform to raise awareness of things that really matter. Lorraine has a deep and genuine connection with her audience and her longevity speaks to the unique importance of daytime television and its staying power. We are honoured to present Lorraine the BAFTA Special Award at our forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises on 12th May.”

The BAFTA Special Award will be presented to Lorraine Kelly as part of a special commemoration of her ongoing legacy at the BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises - the biggest night in the television calendar. This year’s Awards ceremony will be hosted by Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan on 12 May and will recognise the incredible quality and variety of television broadcast in 2023. The full list of nominees can be found here.

Follow @BAFTA on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X to get all of the latest updates, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from the BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises. Social posts should use #BAFTATVAwards with @PandOCruises.

About

Lorraine Kelly’s Biography

Lorraine began her career in journalism at 17 as a trainee reporter on the East Kilbride News. She made her debut on breakfast television in 1984 as TV-AM's Scotland Correspondent, and was the first journalist on the scene of the Pan Am flight disaster in Lockerbie. In January 1993, Kelly helped launch GMTV by presenting a range of programmes. 1994 then saw her anchor her own show on ITV, as she still does today.

Alongside her work in broadcasting, Lorraine Kelly is a Sunday Times bestselling author and started many campaigns around women’s issues. She has raised important issues around the menopause; in 2015, she started a body confidence campaign, is an outspoken advocate of HRT and has opened up on her miscarriage and her anxiety struggles. Her programme's campaigns have also saved lives, most notably her Change + Check breast cancer awareness campaign, which resulted in more than 80 women contacting the show to say they got an earlier diagnosis of breast cancer as a result of seeing the programme.

Lorraine was awarded a CBE in 2020 in recognition of the importance of her broadcasting, journalism and charity work. This followed her receiving an OBE from the Queen in 2012 for her services to charity and the Armed Services.

About BAFTA

BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts - is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For more, visit www.bafta.org. BAFTA is a registered charity (no. 216726).

About P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises is Britain’s favourite cruise line, welcoming guests to experience holidays with a blend of discovery, choice, relaxation and exceptional service catered towards British tastes. Each of the seven ships has its own appeal from family friendly or exclusively for adults. With over 200 destinations worldwide, P&O Cruises itineraries are carefully curated to inspire discovery and are varied to suit newcomers and experienced guests alike.

P&O Cruises works with the best of the best including Gary Barlow and Multi award-winning performer Nicole Scherzinger. Food Heroes include chefs Marco Pierre White, Jose Pizarro, Shivi Ramoutar and Kjartan Skjelde, as well as award-winning drinks expert Olly Smith.

The ‘P&O Cruises Memorable Moment Award’ is the only award voted for by members of the public, honouring the impact of television and its power to bring the nation together. This year’s shortlist was announced on Thursday 14th March; the shortlist can be found here. Voting for the six nominees is now open and will close on 9th April.

Source BAFTA