Lorraine Kelly Left ‘Frightened’ by Vintage Photo of Dermot O’Leary on Live TV
Tuesday’s episode of Lorraine took an unexpected and humorous turn when host Lorraine Kelly couldn’t contain her reaction to a vintage photo of This Morning presenter Dermot O’Leary.
During the show, 64-year-old Lorraine chatted with Dermot, 51, about his new children’s book, Spy Fox and Agent Feathers, and his successful TV career. The conversation shifted to Dermot’s long-standing friendship with competition host Andi Peters.
As Andi, 54, joined the segment live from Austria, Lorraine remarked, “Now look, Andi Peters and you go back a long way, don’t you?” Andi acknowledged their history and noted how early on he recognized Dermot’s potential in television.
Suddenly, the studio displayed an old photo of Dermot, prompting an unexpected squeal from Lorraine. “Is that you, Dermot O’Leary? Sorry, I’m frightened of him!” she exclaimed. Dermot, puzzled, asked, “You’re frightened of it?” Lorraine, still amused, replied, “I’m frightened of you!”
Dermot pressed on, asking, “Why are you frightened of me?” Lorraine explained that his old skinhead haircut looked intimidating. Dermot revealed that his co-host Alison Hammond had suggested he revisit the look, but Lorraine was quick to respond, “She does? No, tell her no!” Despite her reaction, Dermot hinted that he was open to shaving it all off again, as reported by The Mirror.
In addition to his friendship with Andi Peters, Dermot has a shared history with fellow This Morning presenter Ben Shephard. Andi previously revealed that he helped both Dermot and Ben land their first TV gigs. Dermot and Ben worked together on Channel 4’s T4, with Ben joining the show as a presenter in 1999 alongside Dermot.
Reflecting on his career transition from Good Morning Britain to This Morning, Ben noted, “There is a lovely bit of serendipity as I move through the wall that Dermot is there again. My first telly family was T4.”
Last year, Dermot, Ben, and Andi recreated a nostalgic photo from two decades ago, celebrating their long-standing friendship. Ben shared the context of the original image, saying, “What people might not realize is that Dermot and I started on television together, way, way back in the original incarnation of Channel 4’s T4. And there is someone else there—television’s Andi Peters, who gave us both our first jobs in television.”