I'd love to go to Greenland... before Trump annexes it!

Her daytime show may have had its runtime shortened, but broadcaster Lorraine Kelly isn't complaining with a new travel series and second novel on the horizon

- BY JANE ODDY

IT HAS BEEN a challenging week for Lorraine Kelly as her longstanding morning ITV show is halved in length, but the resilient TV legend still has much to look forward to with the arrival of her first travel presenting job on our screens next week. In Lorraine Kelly's Norwegian Odyssey, she sails north through the country's fjords to discover its stunning landscapes, wildlife, food and culture.

Lorraine looks animated when she talks about her project in which she spotted whales and eagles, and ended her journey with a Northern Lights spectacle.

"It's the kind of thing people like Michael Palin do," she beams.

"I adore him - he has got this great thing by which he takes you by the hand and says, 'Come with me and I'll show you'.

"I wanted my travel show to be like that. It's a beautiful part of the world and I love Scandinavia anyway. When we saw the Northern Lights, even the expert - he's called an aurora hunter, that's his job - said, 'Wow, this is very special tonight'.

She hopes the series is a success.

"Because I'd love to do more travel - I would love to go to Greenland before Donald Trump annexes it!" she laughs.

"That's top of my list. That would be the dream."

In the three-part series on Channel 4, Lorraine meets locals who are keeping Norway's rich history alive through folk traditions and Nordic tales. She also immerses herself in the crafts and culinary delicacies of the region.

Viewers are taken on a spectacular journey which uncovers how the Viking era has left its imprint on the way of life and landscape of Norway, but also in Lorraine's home nation of Scotland, which was once sieged under Norse rule.

The brand-funded documentary was made in partnership with Hurtigruten, a renowned Norwegian coastal cruise operator, with scenes filmed in the Arctic Circle.

"I did cod fishing with a line and I saw sea eagles closeup," Lorraine recalls.