Lorraine Kelly Eyes New Project Amid ITV Cutbacks

has reportedly not signed a new contract with after her daytime TV show was reduced to just 30 minute episodes and cut from 52 weeks a year to 30. 

It is well known that the presenter, 66, is unhappy with the drastic cuts, which also included axing key members of her team, and with her contract set to expire next year, all eyes are on Lorraine's next move. 

Now, Lorraine, who has been a face on morning telly for more than four decades, after bursting onto TV screens in the 80s, is said to be busy 'building the foundations for life after ITV.'

She is said to be in contact with former ITV pal . who is said to be 'giving her advice' on creating her own social media show following the success of his global Uncensored series after he quit in 2021. 

A source told The Sun: 'Lorraine has been secretly planning her next big project away from ITV for ages. She's seen the incredible success of interview series, all the big names are doing them, like her pal Piers Morgan.

'Lorraine has huge ambitions and has been in talks about new ideas with some of her former team who she remains extremely close to. Lorraine loves how she can be her own boss, she can film it herself at home in her own time, and she gets to work with her old team again, too.'

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The source added: 'Lorraine is older now, but she's far from retirement – she would just like more time to spend at home with daughter Rosie and granddaughter Billie without the pressure and commitment of travelling to London for just half-an-hour on screen.

'Secretly, she would like to take her format and turn it into an online interview format. One of the other ideas they have is that Lorraine joins Rosie for a new podcast called Mother To Mother, after the success of Rosie's book. They would love to host it together with celebrity mum guests and they are in advanced planning stages'. 

The Daily Mail have reached out to Lorraine and ITV's representatives for comment. 

Lorraine's representatives told The Sun: 'Lorraine has no plans to move away from her show, and any podcast activities would be part of a portfolio, as we see with so many other top broadcasters – complementary to her show which remains her absolute priority.'

Back in May last year, it was revealed that much of Lorraine's show were set to be axed, meaning her Friday stand-in presenters and  are no longer needed. 

Loose Women has also found itself a casualty of ITV cuts, with the afternoon panel show .

Further cutbacks mean that Susanna Reid has lost her own dedicated hairdresser, and no longer gets as much attention from the remaining hair and make-up artists as she once did, as Good Morning Britain staff now .

Previously all daytime TV shows were shot at the sizeable Television Centre in White City, and the reduced space is said to be causing issues off-camera. 

A source told Daily Mail: ''It's incredibly chaotic behind the scenes. The space for all three shows – Loose Women, This Morning and Lorraine – is downstairs in the basement so three different sets are all crammed into one place.

'Backstage the dressing rooms are limited. There just isn't enough space, especially when there are four women getting ready to be in front of the camera at the same time. 

'It's not an ideal situation at all. There have been some meltdowns.'