John
06-04-2010, 06:33 PM
Long-time presenter Penny Smith made an emotional last appearance on ‘GMTV’ this morning after 17 years on the sofa.
Smith, who joined the ITV breakfast show at its launch back in April 1993, broke down in tears after being shown her best moments in the programme while surrounded by former on-screen partners.
She said just before the end of her final appearance on ‘GMTV’: “Thank you to all of you watching – I’m welling up again (…) I forgot to put waterproof mascara on!”
Tributes for the departing star kept coming, as co-host John Stapleton said: “Penny, I’ll miss you terribly… I’ll miss you telling me off for making a mess in the sink in the make-up department. I’ll miss you tidying up both me and the studio. And I’ll also miss expecting the unexpected – because I think that is the key to working with you - you never know what is coming next when you’re working with Penny Smith.
“You’ve been an absolutely fabulous partner, but one thing I won’t miss of course is your company, because as well as being on-screen partners, we’re off-screen partners as well, and that will continue. You’re a great journalist, you have a rapier-like wit, and an effervescent personality, and you’ve brought something very, very special indeed to ‘GMTV’. All the best, darling.”
Meanwhile Lorraine Kelly told Penny Smith: “Miss Penny you are a force of nature. I’m going to miss you so, so much. I’m going to miss your crazy jokes, all the fun that we have in the make-up room. You have the body of a 20-year-old, you look absolutely brilliant – fantastic pair of legs!”
Penny's plans for the future include hosting a BBC Radio 2 opera show and working on her third novel. She is also in talks with ITV about other projects.
Smith, who joined the ITV breakfast show at its launch back in April 1993, broke down in tears after being shown her best moments in the programme while surrounded by former on-screen partners.
She said just before the end of her final appearance on ‘GMTV’: “Thank you to all of you watching – I’m welling up again (…) I forgot to put waterproof mascara on!”
Tributes for the departing star kept coming, as co-host John Stapleton said: “Penny, I’ll miss you terribly… I’ll miss you telling me off for making a mess in the sink in the make-up department. I’ll miss you tidying up both me and the studio. And I’ll also miss expecting the unexpected – because I think that is the key to working with you - you never know what is coming next when you’re working with Penny Smith.
“You’ve been an absolutely fabulous partner, but one thing I won’t miss of course is your company, because as well as being on-screen partners, we’re off-screen partners as well, and that will continue. You’re a great journalist, you have a rapier-like wit, and an effervescent personality, and you’ve brought something very, very special indeed to ‘GMTV’. All the best, darling.”
Meanwhile Lorraine Kelly told Penny Smith: “Miss Penny you are a force of nature. I’m going to miss you so, so much. I’m going to miss your crazy jokes, all the fun that we have in the make-up room. You have the body of a 20-year-old, you look absolutely brilliant – fantastic pair of legs!”
Penny's plans for the future include hosting a BBC Radio 2 opera show and working on her third novel. She is also in talks with ITV about other projects.