Lorraine Kelly Special Bafta 2024: Who is the Scottish television presenter and what is the award for?

One of television best-known faces is to be celebrated at British television's biggest awards bash.

Lorraine Kelly is the latest recipient of Bafta's Special Award.

Lorraine Kelly is set to be honoured with a Special Awards at this year's Television Baftas.

The Scottish presenter, who was born in Glasgow and grew up in East Kilbride, was told of the news for the first time live on television today (Monday, March 25).

Fellow presenter Susanna Reid made the announcement on Lorraine, her BAFTA-nominated weekday show on STV which she has hosted for thirty years.

Here's everything you need to know about the awards - and Lorraine Kelly.

Who is Lorraine Kelly?

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 STV, 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.

What is the BAFTA Special Award?

The BAFTA Special Award is one of BAFTA’s highest honours, recognising an outstanding contribution to film, games or television. 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.

When will Lorraine Kelly recieve the award?

Lorraine Kelly CBE will be presented with her BAFTA Special Award at the forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards with Sunday, May 12, at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The ceremony will be broadcast on BBC One.

Why did Lorraine Kelly win the award?

Announcing the award, Bafta stated: "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.

Hilary Rosen, Chair of BAFTA’s Television Committee, added: “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 May 12.”

What has Lorraine Kelly said about the award?

Lorraine Kelly 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.”