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Lorraine programme regular Dr Hilary Jones has admitted he once appeared drunk on the show - and subsequently offered his apologies to bosses after fearing for his job. The medical professional has remained a consistent presence on the programme for numerous years, offering his knowledge on various health matters. Looking back on his early television appearances, Dr Hilary, 72, remembered a time when his standards dropped during a live broadcast. He revealed: "I'd run the New York Marathon and I had met up with two of my brothers to celebrate. Of course, I hadn't eaten, hadn't drunk, and there was a lot of beer. I was scheduled to do a live segment from a remote studio in Times Square with Lorraine on her show," he shared. The medic said as he attempted to work out the remote camera equipment, he was "suddenly live" and facing questions from Lorraine. "All I remember was giggling and laughing and talking rubbish because I was actually a bit drunk," he recalled. "Afterwards I thought, 'They're going to sack me, I've made a big faux pas. What did I say?'" Concerned he had compromised his role, Dr Hilary said he contacted the programme's executives the next day to apologise. "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.' So, I got away with it." Following that amusing incident, Dr Hilary has maintained his regular appearances on the programme, tackling the public's health queries. However, significant changes are coming to ITV's programming line-up next year. From 2026, both Lorraine and Loose Women will be reduced from an hour to 30 minutes and broadcast on a "seasonal basis". Sharing what this means for him, Dr Hilary revealed: "What I think I'll be doing is guest appearances. The plan is still being worked out, but there will still be medical input from me. I've been with them for so long that I think I'll still be appearing on breakfast TV ." Meanwhile, Lorraine has expressed her views on the changes to the show she has presented since 2010. "It's a different world we live in, isn't it? I'm a realist and I knew there had to be cutbacks and changes. There are so many more outlets now, and television has to cut its cloth in every single department. It's not like it was," she told Woman Magazine. Despite the shake-up, she maintains a positive outlook about what lies ahead, stating: "This is just another change - who knows what will happen in six months? They might want to expand it, they might not. I love my job, I love working with these incredible people, so we just get on with it and see what happens. Nothing ever stays still." Lorraine airs weekdays from 9am on ITV and ITVX.
