It would be enough to throw even the most seasoned presenters off, but not Scots TV star, Lorraine Kelly, who had the presence of mind to make a joke of her mobile phone ringing during a live broadcast, yesterday morning on ITV, by claiming that the call was from Hollywood heartthrob, George Clooney.
The Scottish Daily Mail picks up the story on page 9 with the headline, ‘Live on TV, the phone-in show that Lorraine hadn’t planned’. Writes Maureen Culley: “After more than 25 years on our TV screens, it was the kind of rookie mistake that nobody would have expected her to make. But in the midst of a live interview yesterday morning, Lorraine Kelly’s mobile phone rang – leaving the presenter a little red-faced.”
In an attempt to spare her blushes Kelly brushed off the phone call as an unwanted advance from an overly persistent admirer – George Clooney. She told the audience, “It’s George Clooney,” before telling the caller, “I’m really sorry George – stop phoning me at work.”
The Scottish Sun, who Kelly writes a regular column for, also carries the tale (page 15) with the irresistible pun: ‘Lorraine Call-y’. The paper reports that the presenter’s quip “had viewers in stitches”.
Kelly later revealed via her Twitter feed that the call was actually from from a taxi firm to arrange her pick-up. The presenter wrote: “My phone went live on show today! I pretended it was George Clooney but it was taxi taking me to station as I am off to Manchester!!”
