Lorraine star quits show as colleagues issue emotional tribute

A Lorraine star has quit the show, with fellow presenter Christine Lampard honouring their contribution.

Ross King, known for his engaging reports on ITV’s Lorraine and Good Morning Britain, took a moment from his usual Hollywood updates to bid an emotional goodbye to a colleague

During his segment with stand-in host Christine Lampard, who is covering for Lorraine Kelly during the school half-term, they chatted about the latest Tinseltown buzz, including Harry and Meghan’s screen comeback and the ongoing saga between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. After sharing a quirky tidbit about Taylor Swift’s beau Travis Kelcee grooving to her hit “Shake it Off,” Ross, aged 62, shifted gears to announce the departure of his producer, Hannah Walker, marking her final day on the programme.

With a mix of dance moves and a touch of melancholy, Ross addressed the audience: “Weird dancing but with a little bit of sadness as my wonderful pal and producer Hannah Walker, it’s her last day on this show so Hannah, I want to say to you, huge hugs from Hollywood, lots of real love from La La land.”

Ross King paid tribute to a colleague

He added his heartfelt sentiments: “You will be missed, but we’ll see you again soon enough and hope to see you again too, take care, lots of love, thanks for everything,” ending with a tender kiss blown towards the camera. Christine Lampard warmly responded to the tribute, saying: “Awww we love that,” and expressed her gratitude to Ross for his touching farewell.

Ross, originally from Glasgow, has made a home for himself in Los Angeles, where he’s become a familiar face on our screens as the go-to celebrity correspondent for LA on ITV’s Good Morning Britain since 2014 and on Lorraine Kelly’s show, Lorraine, since 2001. The telly favourite turned 60 in February 2022, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Lorraine Kelly pulled off a heartwarming surprise with messages from his A-list mates during his regular slot on her popular ITV programme.

Christine Lampard paid tribute to Hannah

Meanwhile, Lorraine is taking it easy, enjoying her third day off this week as part of her planned break. It’s no surprise to see her away from the studio during school holidays, with the show left in the trusted hands of stand-ins like Christine and Ranvir Singh.

But Lorraine’s absence hasn’t gone unnoticed by viewers, with one eagle-eyed Twitter account keeping tabs on her screen time, pointing out that she’s only hosted 48 out of 72 episodes this year.

Ross has appeared on Lorraine since 2001

Social media has been buzzing with comments about Lorraine’s frequent breaks. One viewer quipped: “Surely it’s time to re-name the show with this level of attendance.”

Another chimed in with: “#lorraine I wonder what Christine thinks when the rolling credits at the start of the programme showing Lorraine beaming at the camera, are shown.”

And with the news breaking that Lorraine is set to become a grandmother, fans are already predicting endless chatter about #Rosie’s pregnancy on the show, with one fan joking: “How many months will we have to endure them talking about #Rosie pregnancy. Well at least she’ll have every half term off to babysit #Lorraine.”

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