TV fans were thrilled on Friday, May 29, as beloved presenter Penny Smith made a triumphant return to daytime television on BBC’s Morning Live—16 years after leaving GMTV.
Penny, 67, first became a household name in April 1993 as GMTV’s main newsreader, working alongside familiar faces like Lorraine Kelly, Eamonn Holmes, and John Stapleton until her departure in June 2010. Her final day was a tearful celebration, complete with highlights of her most memorable moments and a serenade from her former Just the Two of Us partner, Curtis Stigers. 
Fans were delighted to see her back in action as she reported live from Manchester Airport, investigating the chaos caused by the EU’s new fingerprint scanner. Penny chatted with stranded travellers, met a young woman who missed her flight, and even tested how different substances—water, moisturiser, alcohol wipes—affected the scanner. Her light-hearted yet insightful reporting had viewers glued to their screens. 
The response on social media was immediate and enthusiastic:
“Can we please see more of Penny Smith on Morning Live?” “Absolutely love seeing Penny back on our screens!”
Penny’s career spans decades—starting as a reporter for the Peterborough Evening Telegraph in 1977, helping launch Sky News in 1989, and later becoming a GMTV icon. She’s also hosted radio shows on BBC London, Talk Radio, and Magic Classical, and appeared on shows like Have I Got News for You, Just the Two of Us, and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
Her return to daytime TV follows a brief reunion with Eamonn Holmes on GB News last year, when he commented: “I’m delighted to be working with Penny again after all these years.”
After all this time, it seems the nation still can’t get enough of Penny Smith. Could this mark the beginning of a new chapter in her TV career? Fans certainly hope so!
