Lorraine Kelly has reportedly signed a £2.1million exclusivity contract with ITV. The 57-year-old star is said to have agreed to a two-and-a-half year golden handcuffs deal, worth £2.1million, making her one of the highest-paid women on UK television. A source told the Daily Mail: "Lorraine is a mainstay of ITV breakfast and one of the most popular stars, both on and off screen. She basically has complete autonomy at the station and is free to suggest ideas; she has far more editorial control than many other presenters."
Lorraine Kelly has reportedly signed a £2.1million exclusivity deal with ITV
The insider continued: "Lorraine is a true professional, and so easy to work with. It was basically a no-brainer that she'd be awarded a renewed, improved deal – and certainly, had ITV not made an offer, she'd have been snapped up elsewhere. Everyone at the station is thrilled."
The TV star is set to continue fronting her weekday morning show, Lorraine, and by the time her new contract comes to an end, she will have been with the broadcaster for 35 years. Lorraine began her career on TV-am in 1989, before joining Good Morning Britain in 1990. She then started hosted GMTV in 1994, and remained on the show for 16 years. In 2012, it was announced that she was stepping in to host Daybreak (later replaced by Good Morning Britain), but left after two years to focus on her main show. Lorraine's new pay deal reportedly puts her ahead of the likes of Holly Willoughby, who is thought to earn around £1million for her role on This Morning.