Lorraine Kelly says she ‘strongly disagrees’ with Esther McVey’s politics on Good Morning Britain

Lorraine Kelly discusses Esther McVey on Good Morning Britain. Photograph: ITV. - Credit: Archant

Lorraine Kelly has hit back at Tory leadership contender Esther McVey for suggesting her on-air snub was because of presenter rivalry during her GMTV days.

Kelly was again asked by Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan whether she wished to expand on her lack of comment about McVey when the Brexiteer was on the programme the day before.

He played a video from McVey’s leadership campaign launch where she suggested the presenter’s frosty reception came down to some rivalry when sharing a dressing room in the 90s when they both presented on GMTV with Eamonn Holmes.

But Kelly dismissed the claims saying that they were “baffling” and wanting to set the record straight.

Morgan said to her: “So (she is) basically inferring there you lost in a kind of love war over Eamonn?”

Lorraine Kelly and Esther McVey in their GMTV days. Photograph: PA/PA Wire – Credit: PA

Kelly initially joked: “Well, who wouldn’t want to fight over Eamonn Holmes?” before adding: “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.

MORE: Lorraine Kelly remembers working with Esther McVey and this clip says it all

“It wasn’t a dressing room with couches and all of that, it wasn’t palatial at all.”

Pressed by Susanna Reid if the pair were “best friends”, Kelly said: “I will be genuinely honest with you, I don’t remember.

“It was a long time ago, my show was totally separate from that show.”

Asked if she approves of McVey’s politics, she said: “Yesterday, Piers, 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.”

McVey has drawn criticism for saying parents should have the right to withdraw their children from lessons where they are taught about LGBT relationships.