TV legend Lorraine Kelly has teamed up with Marti Pellow for a very special new project prompted by the birth of her gorgeous granddaughter, baby Billie.
Former Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti is celebrating the 30th anniversary of his hit song Love Is All Around this year. And, after a chance meeting on James Martin’s Saturday Morning, Marti learned that it was a song Lorraine sung to her daughter Rosie when she was born.
In a full circle moment, Lorraine now sings the song to baby Billie. And it’s her granddaughter that has spurred Lorraine on to launch a very emotionally-charged new project. And the star is doing it with the help of Marti.
Lorraine Kelly on ‘overwhelming’ project inspired by baby Billie
Speaking to OK!, Lorraine revealed that she’s teamed up with the Scottish singer to re-record Love Is All Around with her Change & Check Choir. Last year, Joss Stone fronted the choir’s charity single, Golden.
The choir is composed of individuals either undergoing treatment for breast cancer or who are survivors. It was launched in 2019 by Lorraine and her daytime TV producer Helen Addis, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Now Lorraine has revealed that she wants to raise more funds and awareness so that breast cancer isn’t something granddaughter Billie will have to worry about in her lifetime.
“I would love her to grow up in a world where she didn’t have to worry about breast cancer. That would be the best thing ever. Maybe in her lifetime. She’s only one month old. The advances that are happening. The science is incredible,” said Lorraine.
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‘The whole thing was very, very emotional’
Admitting that she loves working on her ITV1 show, Lorraine said that the thing she’s “definitely most proud of” is her Change & Check campaign. Lorraine also shared that there were tears on the day the choir recorded the song.
“The whole thing was very, very emotional. Marti said to me: ‘When you record something that means something, something will happen in the room.’ I didn’t know what he meant, but then I did. Marti recorded his bit, then he helped us record our bits. Then we all sang it together, just with the piano. I burst into tears, as did so many people, because it was just overwhelming. Marti is so kind,” she said.
‘You cannot fail to be touched by that’
The singer spent 14 weeks at number one with the track in 1994. And he too said he was moved to tears on the day.
“If you have a beating heart, why wouldn’t you? Especially when you hear the circumstances. Once you come to a certain age in your life, you become very much aware of cancer. There isn’t any family that hasn’t been touched with that. Whether it’s friends or family who have fought the disease or who didn’t make it through, you cannot fail to be touched by that.”
Love Is All Around by the Change & Check Choir, featuring Marti Pellow, is available to download tomorrow (October 14).
Read more: Lorraine Kelly’s daughter Rosie shares wedding plans weeks after welcoming daughter Billie
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