ITV slashes Loose Women and Lorraine to fund new dramas! The broadcaster has confirmed major cuts to its flagship daytime shows, with both Loose Women and Lorraine now airing just 30 weeks a year. This shake-up aims to free up cash for fresh drama content and beef up news coverage.
Big Daytime Show Cuts Rock ITV
ITV revealed the bombshell during a staff briefing on Monday. Lorraine’s runtime will be chopped in half—from 60 minutes to 30. Plus, Good Morning Britain (GMB) will snatch the crucial 9am to 10am slot for 22 weeks annually. Lorraine will still air five days a week, but only for 30 weeks a year.
Loose Women won’t escape the axe either, now trimmed to just over half the year. ITV says it needs to “cut resources” across daytime TV.
Drama and News Take Centre Stage
This overhaul is part of ITV’s push to prioritise drama, which has been a hit with viewers and advertisers alike. Kevin Lygo, ITV’s MD of Media and Entertainment, said:
“These changes allow us to consolidate our news operations and expand our national, international and regional news output, building on our proud history of trusted journalism at a time when viewers need accurate, unbiased coverage more than ever.”
From next year, ITN will take over production of Good Morning Britain from ITV Studios, uniting all news output under one roof in a major internal reshuffle.
This Morning Escapes Cuts
Fans can breathe easy as This Morning remains untouched and will continue with its usual schedule.
Staff Brace for Impact
Lygo acknowledged the changes won’t come without challenges for Daytime production teams:
“I recognise that our plans will have an impact on staff off screen in our Daytime production teams. We will work with ITV Studios and ITN to support them through this transition.”
The news was delivered by ITV Daytime boss Emma Gormley.
Fans Furious
With no official public statement yet, loyal viewers of Lorraine and Loose Women have taken to social media to vent their frustration. Many fear the end of an era for two of ITV’s most beloved daytime fixtures.
