‘Who’s Lorraine’: Boris Johnson mocked for not knowing who Lorraine Kelly is during ‘car-crash’ GMB interview

Boris Johnson has been mocked after appearing not to know who Lorraine Kelly is on his first appearance on GMB in five years.

The Prime Minister faced a grilling by GMB’s Susanna Reid live from Downing Street on Tuesday morning, where he was questioned about the cost-of-living crisis.

As the interview came to a close, Reid said: “Good to talk to you. Lorraine is waiting to take up all the issues that you have brought up in this interview, thank you very much indeed.”

However, Mr Johnson replied, “Who is Lorraine?” – apparently unaware of the existence of Scottish TV presenter Lorraine Kelly.

“Lorraine’s a legend,” replied Reid, before the camera cut to a slightly taken-aback Kelly.

The blunder has been mocked by viewers online, with one writing: “Audible gasps in my household at “Who’s Lorraine?” this morning”.

Another added: “I am not the British PM, and I don’t watch morning television, and even I know who Lorraine is,” while a third said: “If we needed any other example of how out of touch the PM is, he doesn’t know who Lorraine is”.

A number of online commentators branded the interview a “car crash”.

However, some defended the prime minister for the apparent lapse of knowledge, with one writing: “Why is it embarrassing he doesn’t know who Lorraine Kelly is?”

The presenter did not appear to mind that she was not recognised, telling viewers: “I love how he said ‘who’s Lorraine?’

“I mean why should he know who I am, I mean he’s busy in the mornings and he wouldn’t be watching us, although he could learn a lot as you know.”

She added: “Wow. Thank you Susanna. A masterclass in a political interview. Excellent stuff.”

In 2019, the Scottish TV presenter won a highly-publicised tax case after judges ruled that she performs a “persona of herself” for her role on the self-titled show, Lorraine,

Elsewhere in the interview, Mr Johnson agreed that current Government funding to help with bills was “not going to be enough to immediately cover everyone’s costs”.

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He was grilled about the circumstances of a pensioner called Elsie, who is struggling with her bills and is only able to eat once a day.

When told that the pensioner rides buses all day to keep warm he replied: “The 24-hour freedom bus pass was something I actually introduced.”

He added: “We have the particular payments to help elderly people in particular with the cost of heating.”