Lorraine Kelly faced merciless mocking online after swerving a £1.2m tax bill by claiming she was an actor playing Lorraine Kelly
Sounds ridiculous, right?
Although we would argue that walking away with an extra £1.2 million in the bank grants her the last laugh.
The legal battle with HMRC first arose in 2016 when they argued that, as an employee of ITV, she was subject to pay income tax and national insurance.
Lorraine rejected claims that she had been an employee of the company and therefore eligible to pay the charges, citing her lack of employee benefits like sick pay and leave as a defence.
She also claimed she “acted everyday as a version of herself”.
“ITV was not employing a ‘servant’ but rather purchasing a product, namely the brand and individual personality of Lorraine Kelly,” ruled the judge, who ultimately overturned the tax bill.
“The relationship between Mc Kelly and ITV was a contract for services and not that of employer and employee. She presents herself as a brand, and that it the brand ITV sought when engaging her."
CHECK OUT Holly Willoughby: All her clothes from This Morning and where to get it cheaper on the high street
Holly Willoughby: All her clothes from This Morning and where to get it cheaper on the high street
1 of 6TUESDAY 3 May
Today Holly has opted for a smart casual look. She's wearing a blue floral ruffle top, black trousers and black heels. What we're loving about this outfit is that you can dress it up with heels like Holly, or keep it casual with trainers. Holly's outfit costs more than £150 but we've found a high street dupe...What Holly is wearing:Ditsy floral contrast broderie ruffle blouse, Warehouse, £69.Clara trousers, Sezane, £95.**Where you can get Holly's look for less on the high street:**From New Look you can recreate Holly's entire outfit for less than £40...
2 of 6holly willoughby this morning outfit 3 may 2022
3 of 6WEDNESDAY 4 May
It's Wednesday and again Holly has opted for a smart/casual outfit. She's paired a white shirt, green midi skirt and nude heels together. Again this is a great outfit if you're heading into the office or going out for lunch with the girls. Holly's outfit is on the pricer side, so we've found a similar look that'll save you some cash...What Holly is wearing:Pure Collection linen shirt, John Lewis, £85.Suede wrap skirt, Jigsaw, £285.**Where you can get Holly's look for less on the high street:**From River Island you can copy Holly's style for less than £70...
4 of 6holly willoughby 4 may 2022
5 of 6THURSDAY 5 May
It's Thursday and for her final look of the week, Holly is wearing a blue and white floral dress. The This Morning presenter looks gorgeous and we're loving this dress. We're not the biggest fan of the £200+ price though, so we've found a high street dupe.What Holly is wearing:Fellini blue and cream tropical print cotton shirt dress, L.K. Bennett London, £299.**Where you can get Holly's look for less on the high street:**From Forever Unique you can recreate Holly's outfit for less than £60...
6 of 6holly willoughby this morning outfit
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"All parts of the show are a performance, the act being to perform the role of a friendly, chatty and fun personality.
"Ms Kelly presents a persona of herself...quite simply put, the programmes are entertaining, Ms Kelly is entertaining.
"She may not like the guest she interviews, she may not like the food she eats, she may not like the film she viewed, but that is where the performance lies, as no doubt with other entertainers such as Ant and Dec or Richard and Judy.
"We do not doubt that Ms Kelly is an entertaining lady, but the point is that, for the time she is contracted to perform live on air, she is public 'Lorraine Kelly'."
That sure told us.