Lorraine Kelly: ‘It’s my duty to stand up for trans people’
Lorraine Kelly is a natural born ally.
For Lorraine Kelly, there was no question she’d grow up as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
‘I found my tribe very early on,’ she flippantly tells Metro as if she grew up in Gen Z London in 2025 instead of Glasgow in the 1970s.
‘When I was a teenager, my best friend Ray was gay, then his friends became my friends, and your circle becomes wider.’
But it was during the HIV and Aids crisis, watching a community being demonised while fearing–or worse, losing – their lives, she sensed a change was coming and she knew she had to pick a side.
‘I felt it was my duty to stand up and say, “No, this isn’t right”.’
We’re talking the day before she’s about to welcome Gavin and Luke Avaient-Sheppard to her chat show, a year after she officiated their wedding on daytime television.
https://videos.metro.co.uk/video/met/2024/03/27/8951303651369305144/1024x576_MP4_8951303651369305144.mp4It was a landmark day, 10 years since the first gay wedding in Britain and what could be more extra than having national treasure Lorraine Kelly conduct your service with Alfie Boe singing Foreigner as you say your vows to thousands of viewers?
Granted, it’s not throwing the first brick at Stonewall, but it’s one of several moments Lorraine has used her chat show to platform the LGBTQ+ community to an audience of vastly diverse opinions and prejudices.
Join Metro's LGBTQ+ community on WhatsAppWith thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community.
Simply click on this link, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in! Don't forget to turn on notifications!
Decades after realising her duty, she is still standing up for the LGBTQ+ community.
‘We’re breaking down barriers in a gentle way,’ she says. ‘But I think it’s actually more effective than perhaps a big documentary.’
Lorraine regularly platforms trans stories, creating a safe space for LGBTQ+ people to be interviewed on daytime television without feeling interrogated for simply existing.
Perhaps that doesn’t sound particularly ground-breaking, but over the last decade or so, it’s become increasingly rare for trans people to appear on television and not be asked: ‘What is a woman?’ or have Piers Morgan declare he’s identifying as a ‘penguin’.
Lorraine Kelly: ‘The LGBTQ+ community has trused me with their stories’That’s if they make it onto television at all. Trans people have been debated so intensely daily, but rarely actually given the platform to speak up.
‘People in the gay and trans communities have trusted me with their stories, they really have,’ she says with pride.
‘I don’t like when trans people have to come on and try and justify their experience because no one else has to. It’s really about showing the person behind the label – we’re all far more complex than labels.
‘People look at statistics and they don’t see human beings so that’s my job. The trans community has the odds stacked against them anyway, trying to navigate a new world that’s gone backwards. When I grew up, people in the 70s and 80s and people were more tolerant about trans than they are now.’
In 2024, Lorraine released her feel-good debut novel, The Island Swimmer about a lonely woman who returns to her family home when her father falls ill. Despite vowing never to return, she befriends a group of cold-water swimmers led by her oldest friend, Freya.
‘Freya just so happens to be trans, but honestly that’s the least interesting thing about her,’ she says, giggling: ’There’s a little bit of me in her, but she’s essentially a human being getting on with her life.
‘I know that anyone who is frightened or scared of trans people could sit down with Freya, if she were real, they’d change their mind.’
Gavin and Luke will be returning to Lorraine a year after tying the know on her show (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)In 2019, Lorraine was reluctantly reunited with former GMTV colleague Esther McVey on Good Morning Britain. She went viral for brashly snubbing McVey on live television in a somewhat humiliating exchange for the Conservative MP.
Lorraine later clarified she was responding to some of the ‘appalling’ things McVey has said about the LGBTQ+ community.
I ask if she’s had to stand up to others at work or in her personal life when they’ve shared similarly homophobic values.
‘Much less than you would imagine,’ she says. ‘We obviously have gay people working with us on my show, but I don’t think anyone would say anything like that to me.’
Lorraine might be a show that celebrates inclusivity, but Kelly remains firm that all sides of a debate are heard on her show, that all voices get their say, and ultimately it’s the viewer that makes up their mind.
In 2021, she welcomed academic Katheleen Stock, who at the time was on a promotional tour of her departure as a philosophy lecturer from the University of Sussex after being accused of transphobia.
People in the gay and trans communities have trusted me with their stories
QuoteQuote‘It was a feverish time, wasn’t it?’ Lorraine asks.
Since then, Stock has become a prolific figure in the so-called ‘gender critical’ movement, which has become somewhat obsessive in its quest to demolish trans rights.
‘I think it was important to talk to her and for people to hear where she was coming from, even if I fundamentally disagree with her,’ says Lorraine.
‘I said to her, “I believe trans women are women,” and she doesn’t, but we don’t have to end up screaming at each other.’
In fact, Lorraine repeatedly stresses she is against censorship of any kind. But arguably it’s trans people and their supporters who are being censored.
Trans people are more often than not snubbed from the conversation about their existence, while trans allies are scared to speak out over fears of the abuse they receive for simply saying they ‘believe in trans women’.
‘It’s very sad,’ says Lorraine. ‘We have to remember we’re talking about a very small part of the community who just needs understanding and our help.
‘We’re supposed to be more progressive, we’re supposed to be more understanding, but we’re going backwards in many ways.’
But the return of Gavin and Luke to Lorraine, marking their one year anniversary, is a glimmer of hope.
‘We’ve still come so far, now we have gay couples getting married and no one turns a hair, you know? I always said to one of my mates about gay marriage, “it’ll be a big deal when it’s not a big deal.”;
For now, Lorraine’s allyship remains a big deal, whether she feels it or not.
But perhaps the next time Lorraine welcomes Gavin and Luke back on their show for a special anniversary, gay marriage or even being LGBTQ+ won’t even need to be a topic of conversation.
Lorraine airs weekdays from 9am on ITV1, ITVX, STV & STV Player.
Gavin and Luke talk to Metro1.Tell us about your first year of marriage.
Our first year of marriage has been incredible—full of love, laughter, and growth. Like any couple, we’ve had our moments of learning and adjusting, but ultimately, it’s been a beautiful journey of deepening our bond.
2. How often do people recognize you from getting married on Lorraine?
It happens more often than we expected! Whether we’re out for dinner or even just shopping, people will come up and say, “Aren’t you the couple from Lorraine?” It’s always heartwarming to hear how our wedding touched them.
3. What was the response from Lorraine’s viewers?
The response was overwhelmingly positive! We received so many messages of love and support—people telling us how much it meant to see LGBTQ+ love celebrated so openly on national television. Some even said it gave them the courage to be themselves.
4. What did you do after the ceremony on Lorraine?
After the ceremony, we had a little celebration with close friends and family on a roof top restaurant, soaking in the joy of the day.
Of course, we also took some time to just reflect on the moment—it was surreal and magical. We later went into Soho to continue the celebrations and ended up in a nightclub which was great fun.
5. How important is it to have such a high-profile ally like Lorraine?
It’s incredibly important. Representation matters, and having someone as beloved and respected as Lorraine support LGBTQ+ love sends a powerful message of acceptance.
6. How important was it to show how beautiful LGBTQ love is on national television?
Visibility is everything. Love is love, and showcasing our wedding on such a big platform helped normalize LGBTQ+ relationships. It’s so important for people—especially younger generations—to see that their love is valid and celebrated.
7. What are your future plans as husband and husband?
We’re excited for the future! Whether it’s traveling more, building our careers, or maybe even expanding our family one day, we’re just looking forward to growing together and continuing this amazing journey as a married couple.
Who knows—we could end up on a reality show as a couple, demonstrating the love and unity of same-sex relationships. We love the idea of taking on new adventures together, sharing our journey, and continuing to be visible representatives of LGBTQ+ love. Whatever comes next, we’re ready for something exciting! Watch this space…
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
