Lorraine Kelly ‘opens her eyes’ and signs huge deal with ITV rival amid cuts

Lorraine Kelly was away filming last month and it’s now been reported that she was working on a ‘big budget’ travel show for Channel 4 ahead of changes to her ITV talk show

Lorraine’s show has been affected by the ITV cuts(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly is said to have filmed a “big budget” project for Channel 4 recently. Ahead of changes to her long-running ITV talk show next year, it’s been teased that she’s considering other options that she could explore.

Lorraine, now 65, has fronted her eponymous show for more than a decade, with it having launched in 2010. It was however announced by ITV earlier this year that, from January next year, episodes will be reduced to 30 minutes. It was also revealed that the show will then only run for 30 weeks each year.

Following the news, last month, Lorraine shared that she was away and teased that she was having “big filming adventures” in Norway. She said in a video message on Instagram: “I’m in the land of the midnight sun. It’s absolutely glorious. It’s a project that I’ve wanted to do for years and years, and finally it’s actually happening. I’m heading really, really far north.”

Lorraine Kelly has filmed a new show with an ITV rival
Lorraine Kelly has filmed a new show with an ITV rival(Image: Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Women of the Year)

It’s now been reported by the Sun that Lorraine flew to the country last month to work on a travel show for Channel 4, rather than ITV. A source told the outlet that the broadcaster was “delighted” to have signed up Lorraine for the project.

The source said it was “exciting” for her to do “something different” and to be back on location somewhere. They teased that amid the shake-up at ITV daytime shows, her “loyal” fans will support Lorraine “wherever she goes”.

They said: “Despite the apparent slight in the ITV daytime shake-up, Lorraine’s loyal fanbase isn’t to be underestimated and they will follow her wherever she goes. She’s survived in this business a long time, and she’s a master at rolling with the punches.”

It’s also been reported by the outlet that the production role Head of Lorraine is being axed at ITV. It’s claimed that her two producers are set to instead report to bosses on This Morning.

The source said that it casts doubt on the future of the talk show and claimed that her current contract finishes next year. The source teased: “She’s opening her eyes up to the many options available to her.”

ITV said in a statement: “We have always said that from January 2026, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women will be three editorially distinct shows which will be produced by one team. These changes are not about the performance of the shows or the staff. We can assure our viewers that their favourite daytime shows will remain familiar to them on screen.”

Although best known for her work on ITV, Lorraine has appeared on other channels over the years too. It includes her having been on Channel 4’s the Last Leg on several occasions and she mentioned the show on a podcast recently.

She teased last month that she’s able to be “a bit naughty” on shows away from ITV’s Lorraine. As reported at the time, she said to Tom Kerridge on the Proper Tasty podcast: “40 years in TV last year was incredible. I got a BAFTA. ‘Here’s a BAFTA for being alive.’ I thought, ‘Hang on a minute, I’m not done yet’.

“I think now I can be a lot cheekier. Because I’ve always been a bit naughty. Not so much in the morning, but if I do a wee show on Channel 4, or The Last Leg, or something like that.”

She teased: “You can be unleashed. And I quite like that. You do have to have a self-edit button and I’m finding mine is not operating as much as it should.”

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Morocco and Zambia win to reach Wafcon quarter-finals

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Morocco finished top of Group A at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) after Yasmin Mrabet’s penalty earned the hosts a 1-0 victory over Senegal, while Zambia also won to secure their passage to the quarter-finals.

Morocco emerged triumphant from a scrappy encounter in Rabat, which rested on a controversial decision made with the help of VAR late in the first half.

Referee Shamirah Nabadda initially appeared to miss a coming together between Senegal goalkeeper Adji Ndiaye and Morocco striker Ibtissam Jraidi, but replays clearly showed Ndiaye strike her opponent in the face with one forearm while carrying the ball with the other.

After a lengthy delay, Nabadda was advised to go to the monitor, and although screens said it was to check a possible red card, Nabadda pointed to the spot instead and issued the fortunate Ndiaye with only a yellow.

Mrabet kept her cool to send the keeper the wrong way in the second minute of stoppage time, converting Morocco’s third penalty of the group stage.

Racheal Kundananji’s ninth-minute goal was enough to see off the Leopardesses, who had midfielder Falonne Pambani sent off in the 69th minute for a foul on Ireen Lungu.

Zambia face the winners of Group B in the last eight, which will provide a blockbuster clash against Nigeria if the record nine-time Wafcon winners avoid defeat against Algeria on Sunday (19:00 GMT).

Morocco, meanwhile, will take on the third-placed finisher in Group B or Group C.

Officials take centre stage

The atmosphere inside the Olympic Stadium in Rabat was crackling with anticipation ahead of kick-off between Morocco and Senegal and, for the first time this tournament, there was not a spare seat to be seen.

Pounding drums helped lift the volume further, while giant Moroccan flags waved in a stiff breeze that made conditions far cooler once the sun went down.

But fans hoping to be entertained by two teams who had found goalscoring easy in their first two group games were left disappointed by a stop-start affair that often threatened to become ill-tempered.

While the decision for Mrabet’s goal was the most important intervention of the evening, the assistant referees’ flags also played a key role.

Both teams had the ball in the net during the 90 minutes, only to see the goals ruled out by a late flags for offside. Jraidi and Senegal forward Nguenar Ndiaye also saw the flag go up following good chances they failed to finish.

While most of those offside decisions were clear, VAR had to intervene again in added time at the end of the game after Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak found the back of the net.

Referee Nabadda was also busy keeping discipline in what developed into a niggly affair, issuing a total of seven yellow cards.

While Senegal huffed and puffed, the West Africans never really looked like creating much in the way of clear chances.

The hosts always looked the superior footballing side and saw Chebbak and Jraidi also spurn excellent opportunities that were onside.

Topping the group means Morocco stay in the capital for their quarter-final on Friday, while Zambia remain in Mohammedia for their clash the same day.

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Liberia Not Offended By Trump’s ‘Where-Were-You-Educated’ Comment — Minister

Liberia’s president was “honoured” to meet US counterpart Donald Trump this week and wasn’t offended by Trump’s comment about his fluency in English — his mother tongue — Liberia’s foreign minister said on Friday.

The US president’s comment has even inspired a catchy tribute song in the West African country.

Trump praised President Joseph Boakai on Wednesday for his English-speaking skills, apparently unaware that English is the official language of Liberia.

Trump
US President Donald Trump attends the North Atlantic Council plenary meeting at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit in The Hague on June 25, 2025. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP)

Responding to remarks Boakai made at a White House mini-summit of the presidents of five mineral-rich countries in West Africa, the US leader said, “Such good English… Where were you educated?”

READ ALSO: ‘Where Were You Educated?’ Trump Comments On Liberian President’s English

Boakai — who, like most Liberians, speaks English as a first language — laughed uncomfortably and replied he had been educated in his home country.

“We were honoured by the White House’s invitation to President Boakai for a meeting with President Trump and fellow African leaders. No offence was taken,” Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti told AFP on Friday evening.

She said Liberia was keen to strengthen ties with the United States, “built on mutual respect”.

Liberia is the oldest republic in sub-Saharan Africa.

It was founded in 1822 when the American Colonisation Society, funded by the US Congress and slaveholders, began sending freed slaves to its shores.

Thousands of “Americo-Liberian” settlers followed.

They declared independence in 1847 and set up a government to rule over the native African majority.

English is the official language and the most widely used throughout the country.

English King Of Africa

In response to Trump’s faux pas, singer and former cultural ambassador Queen Juli Endee penned a song in tribute to Boakai.

“We salute JNB, our black president, Beautiful English King of Africa,” she and her band sang in a video widely shared on social media.

The clip shows them waving US flags and wearing T-shirts bearing the images of Boakai and Trump.

Liberians, meanwhile, voiced mixed reactions.

Shadrach Johnson, unemployed, welcomed the fact that Boakai had been among the small number of African leaders invited to the summit.

“He went there and spoke on behalf of the Liberian people. It’s progress,” he told AFP.

But street trader Patience Allison said Trump had insulted her head of state and sought to provoke.

“For him to ask that question, it is almost like you are making fun. He was really making fun of our president,” she said.

Family of American citizen killed by Israeli settlers demands US probe

Washington, DC – The family of Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old United States citizen from Florida who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, is calling on Washington to launch its own probe into the incident and to hold the perpetrators accountable.

Musallet’s family said in a statement that Israeli settlers surrounded him for three hours during the assault on Friday and attacked medics who were attempting to reach him.

The slain young man, known as Saif, was a “kind, hard-working, and deeply-respected young man, working to build his dreams”, the family said.

“This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face,” the statement added.

“We demand the US State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes. We demand justice.”

Washington has previously resisted calls to investigate the killing of US citizens by Israeli forces. Instead, US officials say that Israel is capable of probing its own abuses.

But Israeli investigations rarely lead to criminal charges against settlers or soldiers, despite their well-documented violations against Palestinians.

The State Department said late on Friday that it “has no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas”.

“We are aware of reports of the death of a US citizen in the West Bank. When a US citizen dies overseas, we stand ready to provide consular services,” a department spokesperson told Al Jazeera, declining to provide further details, citing the privacy of the victim’s family.

Israeli forces have killed at least nine US citizens since 2022, including veteran Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh.

But none of the incidents have resulted in criminal charges.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) said the US “must stop treating Palestinian American lives as expendable”.

“Israeli settlers lynched 20-year-old Palestinian American Sayfollah Musallet, while US officials stayed silent,” the advocacy group said in a statement.

“Sayfollah was born and raised in Florida. He was visiting family for the summer in the West Bank when settlers beat him to death while he protested illegal land seizures.”

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) questioned whether Trump will stay true to his pledge to prioritise US interests.

“Will he uphold his ‘America First’ promise when it’s a Palestinian-American whose life was taken? Or will he once again bow his head to Israel, no matter the cost in blood?” AMP said in a statement.

But the group stressed that US citizenship should not be a condition for justice. Another Palestinian was killed in the same settler attack as Musallet on Saturday.

“And let’s be unequivocally clear: whether a Palestinian holds American citizenship or not, every single murder committed by this regime must be explicitly prohibited, punished, and condemned,” AMP said.

The US provides billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. It also protects its ally diplomatically at international forums, often using its veto power to block United Nations Security Council proposals critical of Israeli abuses.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on supporters on Saturday to contact their lawmakers and urge them to condemn the killing of Musallet.

“This was not an isolated incident. It was part of a long, unpunished pattern of violence against US citizens by Israeli soldiers and settlers,” the group said in a statement.

Sarah Leah Whitson, the head of rights group DAWN, said the US has tools to pursue accountability in the Musallet case, noting that Washington is pursuing criminal charges against Hamas officials for the killing of US citizens during the October 7, 2023 attack in Israel.

“What is really missing [in the current case] is the political will from the United States government to protect American citizens of Palestinian origin or Americans protesting Israeli actions in the West Bank,” Whitson told Al Jazeera in a TV interview.

“What it really does is it sets a precedent of encouragement and sets a precedent for open season on Americans just as there is open season on Palestinians.”

Troops Arrest Two Suspects, Recover Weapons In Taraba

Troops of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/ Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have apprehended two suspects and recovered a cache of illegal weapons in the Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State. 

The operation was in continuation of the army efforts to rid the state of illegal arms and ammunition,

This was disclosed in a press statement issued by the 6 Brigade’s Public Relations Officer, Captain Olubodunde Oni.

According to the statement, acting on credible intelligence regarding the presence of illegal arms in certain locations within Donga, the troops conducted a targeted raid on suspected criminal hideouts in Gayama village. 

READ ALSO: Suspected Lakurawa Bandits Kill Three Police Officers In Kebbi

The operation led to the arrest of two individuals identified as Haruna Samari and Dantala Mamman, who were found in possession of illegal weapons and other items.

Items recovered during the operation include one submachine gun, one submachine gun magazine with 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition, one empty case of 7.62mm special ammunition, two fabricated rifles, and three single-barrel guns.

Others are three Dane guns, five live cartridges, four empty cartridge cases, one Beofeng radio, and one helmet. 

The suspects are currently in custody undergoing investigation.

The Commander of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3 OPWS, Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, commended the troops for their swift and decisive action and reaffirmed the brigade’s commitment to maintaining peace and security in Taraba State. 

Ex-England striker Carroll joins Dagenham & Redbridge

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Former Newcastle, Liverpool and West Ham striker Andy Carroll has joined sixth-tier Dagenham & Redbridge on a free transfer.

Carroll has signed a reported three-year deal with the National League South club after leaving Bordeaux last month.

The 36-year-old departed the French fourth-tier club after just a season because he wanted to be closer to his children.

Carroll said in an interview with Sky Sports that he had “clubs ringing me up from higher leagues” but it was important that he moved to a team which was the “right fit”.

“It doesn’t matter the level, or anything, as long as I get on the pitch and play football, that’s all that matters,” Carroll said.

“Coming here and showing people I am just playing for the love of football rather than the money and the level is something I wanted to do.

“This is something which could be fantastic. We have a project to get them out of non-league and back up the leagues.”

Gateshead-born Carroll scored 54 goals in 248 Premier League games during spells with Newcastle United, Liverpool and West Ham United.

He then went on to play for Reading and West Bromwich Albion before moving to France with second-tier side Amiens in 2023.

Carroll won nine caps for England, scoring two goals, between 2010 and 2012.

On the day they signed Carroll, Dagenham & Redbridge also announced a deal to sell the club to a consortium of private investors from Qatar.

The Daggers were bought by Club Underdog, a subsidiary of US-based company North Six Group, in May 2024.

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