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Daily Record
Daily Record
Entertainment
Siobhan Macdonald

Lorraine Kelly was Glasgow's 'worst waitress' before landing TV gig

Lorraine Kelly has opened up about being the "worst waitress in Glasgow " before landing her big break on television.

The Scottish journalist appeared on drag legend Vanity von Glow's most recent podcast episode, and discussed everything from her political views to her career options.

The 61-year-old ITV host reminisced on her waitressing days at the start of her career, when she worked in a trendy Glasgow bar for "free dinners" to top up her income from the BBC.

Talking about her time in Glasgow, she told The Vanity Project: “I was the worst waitress in Glasgow.

"I worked in Charlie Parker's which was quite trendy and they had a disco called Pizzazz up the stairs and it kidded on it was quite trendy.

"It was all beautiful, beautiful Glasgow girls with a big long tumbling blonde here and the big white stilettos they were gorgeous right?

Lorraine Kelly attends ITV Palooza! at the Royal Festival Hall on November 23, 2021 in London, England. (WireImage)

"And then I was given a special dispensation because Gary said it was alright that I could wear flat shoes, my glasses, and I didn't have to tuck my shirt into my shorts.

"Honestly, I was there for comic relief I think, and I don't mean the charity just for comedy - it was great.

"The trouble was I needed to work there because I just, I just got a job at the BBC and my salary virtually halved from working in local newspapers.

"So I needed to work as a waitress at night, you get fed, you got your dinner, which was great. And I just needed the money.

"I think I got about a pound an hour. It was mad. But then after a shift, we'd go to Bennett's and spend all our money on booze.”

She added: “It was a great time to be young and daft and experiment. And thank God, there was no social media!”

When asked what Lorraine would have done had she not gone into television, she responded: "I mean, I was supposed to go to university when I was a kid, but I got a job in my local newspaper.

"And I would have gone to uni to do English and Russian.

"That was the two things that was that I wanted to do. I think I would have ended up in the teaching profession, I would have ended up with something like that, because I think teachers who have got a really, really, really hard job and we saw that during lockdown when parents were trying to teach their children and were like "oh my god" and teachers all of a sudden find themselves very appreciated, that you can change peoples lives that that job.

"I mean, I'll never forget Miss Speres, I'll never forget Miss Mcphedran.

"You know, they were incredible and inspirational and all of these things and, and there are very few jobs where you can actually make a massive difference to peoples lives.

"So probably I think I would have done something like that. But yeah, I think I've absolutely landed on my feet with my job I really did because it's just such a joy. You know it really is."

You can listen to the Vanity Project at www.vanityvonglow.com/podcast.

Lorraine is on ITV weekdays at 9am.

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