UPDATE: Lorraine Kelly "baffled" by Esther McVey's Eamonn Holmes claim

Updated

Lorraine Kelly claims to be “baffled” by Esther McVey’s claims she was promoted above her, and admitted she does not agree with the aspiring Prime Minister’s opinions on LGBT rights.

Kelly, 59, was accused of snubbing at the 51-year-old Tory politician on Good Morning Britain yesterday when hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid asked her if she remembered her former GMTV colleague.

McVey later claimed the reason Kelly may hold a grudge is because, “She used to be partnered with Eamonn Holmes, then I was promoted to be partnering with Eamonn Holmes.”

Esther McVey and Lorraine Kelly used to share a dressing room when they worked on breakfast TV
Esther McVey and Lorraine Kelly used to share a dressing room when they worked on breakfast TV (Credit: PA)

Now Kelly has responded on GMB, saying: "Well, who wouldn't want to fight over Eamonn Holmes?”

Read more: What is Lorraine Kelly's problem with Esther McVey?

The TV presenter added: "No, there is no battle. I'm baffled by that though because I had my own show from 1992 and I don't actually think she joined until five years later.

"As far as sharing dressing rooms go, it wasn't really like that. It's not palatial like it is now. I know Piers, you've got your Winnebago.

"It was just a little room that everybody shared, that we went in and we got ready in. It wasn't a dressing room with couches and all of that, it wasn't palatial at all."

Eamonn Holmes welcomes his new co-presenter to BBC-TV's factual entertainment series 'How Do They Do That?'. Esther McVey joins the programme when it returns to BBC-1 in the autumn, replacing Jenny Hull, who resigned after a pay dispute. See PA story SHOWBIZ Eamonn. Photo by David Cheskin/PA
Eamonn Holmes and Esther McVey worked together on breakfast TV in the 90s. (Credit: PA)

Pressed about her feelings towards McVey, Kelly admitted: “I will be honest with you, I just got sick to the back teeth of the whole toxic political atmosphere.

"I strongly disagree with her on LGBT rights and I just felt like I've had enough of this, we've had two-and-a-half years of going round in circles over Brexit and now we've got people at each other's throats and its got to stop."

Viewers of GMB on Monday were quick to point out Kelly’s frosty response to questions about working with McVey during a live link-up on the ITV breakfast show.

McVey was later asked at a press conference to launch her leadership bid: "What went on between you and Lorraine Kelly?"

The Conservative MP laughed and replied: "Well we used to share a dressing room, and she used to be the programme afterwards, and obviously she used to be partnered with Eamonn Holmes, then I was promoted to be partnering with Eamonn Holmes.

Read more: Lorraine Kelly dodges £1.2m tax bill with bizarre legal loophole

"But, she's great and it was a great show, and I can't believe it, I think it was 20 years ago I did that show, but never mind, it was really good at the time, it was really good fun."

Kelly was originaly put on the spot during a live TV link-up. Asked if she remembered McVey, she had nodded, tight-lipped before replying abruptly: "Yeah. Yes I do.”

Morgan then pushed Kelly further asking her: "So you got on with Esther then Lorraine?"

Kelly shook her head, and looked away, before adding: "I don't remember love. I don't remember at all. I really don't. It was an awfully long time ago."

Morgan laughed: "Ooh, if looks could kill, she'd be six feet under."

Kelly recently avoided paying £1.2 million in tax, after a judge ruled she's performing "the role of a friendly, chatty and fun personality" during her morning appearances on ITV rather than appearing as herself.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK

Advertisement