Lorraine Kelly says BBC would not give her job due to 'working-class accent'
Television presenter Lorraine Kelly has spoken about the importance of giving more representation to working-class voices in the media. She appeared on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs to share her experiences and reflections on the issue.
“Things have to change. I have been through many regime changes in my life. For me this is just another one, but it’s seismic.”
Kelly, who began her national TV career in the mid-1980s, recalled growing up in Glasgow and later moving to East Kilbride during her teenage years. She revealed that she was once told she would not be hired by the BBC because of her working-class Scottish accent—a judgment that left her feeling “crushed.”
Her career breakthrough came when she was hired by TV-am, thanks to an Australian executive who didn’t recognise her accent and valued her talent instead.
“I really worry about working-class people not being given the opportunity that I had. We talk about diversity quite rightly, but there’s a whole raft of working-class people of all colours, creeds, and religions, who are being left behind.”
“That all comes down to money because these kids cannot afford to come to London, to live in London, because it’s impossible for them to do that. And therefore they can’t get the jobs that they absolutely should be allowed to do.”
Summary
Lorraine Kelly highlights the barriers faced by working-class voices in British media, calling for genuine diversity and better access to opportunities across backgrounds.