Dr Hilary Jones, a regular health expert on Lorraine, revealed an incident when he appeared on the show while intoxicated and later apologised to the producers. Having been a familiar face on the programme for several years, Dr Hilary recalled how early in his appearances, his professionalism briefly faltered live on air.
Dr Hilary, aged 72, shared that after running the New York Marathon, he celebrated with his brothers, drinking heavily without eating or hydrating properly. He was scheduled for a live segment from a remote studio in Times Square alongside Lorraine Kelly.
Attempting to set up the remote camera, he found himself suddenly live and answering Lorraine’s questions. He admitted:
"All I remember was giggling and laughing and talking rubbish because I was actually a bit drunk."
He feared the worst, worrying that he had damaged his reputation:
"Afterwards I thought, ‘They’re going to sack me, I’ve made a big faux pas. What did I say?'"
Concerned, Dr Hilary called the show's bosses the next day to apologise. However, they reassured him:
"I phoned them and said, 'I’m really sorry' and they said, ‘Why? You sounded brilliant, you just sounded happy! You sounded euphoric and it was really energetic and lovely.’"
In the end, he was forgiven for the unusual on-air behaviour.
This story highlights how even professionals can have unexpected moments on live TV, but honesty and humility can maintain trust and respect.