Author: bang7

Staff on Lorraine fear its much-loved host might choose to quit if the standard of the show falls due to sweeping ITV cuts – as the channel’s employees are left shell-shocked and in tears over the news

Staff on Lorraine fear its much-loved host could quit the show after it bore the brunt of massive ITV cuts.

The presenter has been left devastated by the scale of job losses set to hit the programme which is set to be slashed from an hour to 30minutes. It will also now only air for 30 weeks out of 52.

ITV boss Kevin Lygo has insisted that presenters will remain the same across all affected programmes.

But a source said: “There are genuine fears among staff that Lorraine may decide to walk if the quality of the show they are putting out declines. It’s hard to see how standards won’t fall….and there are questions over whether Lorraine will want to be associated with that. Lorraine and her team are perfectionists – it’s why the show is loved by so many.”

The source said the move was a “kick in the teeth” especially given ITV was crowing this week about the show amassing its highest ratings for four years.

Staff fear BAFTA winner Lorraine may walk if the standard of the show falls (Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)

A second insider added: “This is a presenter who has just come back from having an operation, has won a BAFTA, is enjoying record ratings….and then ITV show their appreciation by yanking her off air half the year. Staff are beside themselves, and have been in tears constantly. It doesn’t make any sense given the trajectory the show is on.”

Lorraine Kelly: Staff are worried about her future

Altogether, ITV is slashing 220 jobs, as it aims for cost savings of up to £50million.

Insiders reported “collective devastation” after being ordered to a meeting of all daytime staff yesterday to be told that almost half of the 450 jobs in ITV Daytime were being cut.

The overhaul will see the money saved being “reinvested” into other programming with a focus on drama, sport, entertainment and reality programming.

From January 2026, Loose Women will also adopt a “seasonal” schedule of 30 weeks a year, a loss of more than 10 weeks on the current schedule but a return to the pattern it held for more than a decade before 2016.

ITV’s news provider ITN is to take over production of Good Morning Britain from next year as part of the major revamp of the channel’s long-running daytime brands. GMB will be re-homed within ITN’s Gray’s Inn Road headquarters and be extended by half an hour for 30 weeks of the year (6am – 9.30am), and by an hour for the remaining 22 weeks when Lorraine is now off air (6am – 10am).

The changes aim to allow GMB to benefit from “the journalistic and production resources already in place for national news bulletins”. The extra hours each week will be filled with extra regional news, investigations and analysis of the biggest stories of the day.

Staff reacted with widespread dismay to the huge number of job cuts. The current Good Morning Britain team was particularly hard hit – of the 133 employees who currently make the early-bird magazine show, hosted by Susanna Reid, Richard Madeley and Ed Balls, just 38 will make the move to ITN.

Lorraine recently had an op (Image: Lorraine Kelly/Instagram)

An insider said: “The devastation among the staff is palpable after the announcement. To say it blindsided them would be an understatement.

“There had been whispers going round for some time over a merger between ITV News and Good Morning Britain, but no indication that the Daytime shows would be affected.

“We still don’t know how many people are going to lose their jobs, but rumours around 50% of the entire staff from GMB, Lorraine and This Morning will be affected which is staggering. “All of the shows are produced by teams of super dedicated professionals, everyone is completely devastated.”

In terms of scheduling, This Morning has emerged unscathed and will remain in its 10am -12.30pm slot on weekdays. Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women, all made by ITV Studios, will move collectively to new studios within central London.

Presenter Lorraine, who last year celebrated 40 years in broadcasting and was awarded a special Bafta to mark the milestone, will now present her shorter show for five days a week, rather than four. Her regular stand-ins, Christine Lampard and Ranvir Singh, will provide holiday cover and will “remain as part of the ITV Daytime family”. Ranvir also hosts GMB while Christine does stints on Loose Women.

ITV media and entertainment managing director Kevin Lygo said that the aim was to save cash amid huge hikes in costs without losing any of the on-air talent. “Daytime is a really important part of what we do, and these scheduling and production changes will enable us to continue to deliver a schedule providing viewers with the news, debate and discussion they love from the presenters they know and trust, as well generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres.

ITV will undergo major changes to their Daytime offerings – including Good Morning Britain(Image: RAY BURMISTON)

“These changes also allow us to consolidate our news operations and expand our national, international and regional news output and to build upon our proud history of trusted journalism at a time when our viewers need accurate, unbiased news coverage more than ever.”

In a statement, ITV said the money saved would help to fund dramas like Mr Bates vs The Post Office and coverage of the biggest sporting events like next year’s football World Cup, plus reality and entertainment shows.

Lygo said that the changes would future-proof the much-loved daytime brands for decades to come. “Daytime has been a core element of ITV’s schedule for over 40 years and these changes will set ITV up to continue to bring viewers award winning news, views and discussion as we enter our eighth decade.”

Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid on GMB(Image: ITV)

The changes will form part of a renewed five-year deal between ITV and ITN national, international, London and digital news provision.

They come just a few months after a major overhaul of the channel’s soaps, which will each move to a five-nights a week scheduling model from January.

In February it was announced that both Coronation Street and Emmerdale will be reduced by an hour a week to create a soap “power hour” every weeknight – but also to save money. One year ago, ITV CEO Carolyn McCall announced 200 redundancies would be made from departments including commercial, technology and operations.

ITV’s budget for programme-making has been steady at around £1.3bn for a number of years.

Brooklyn Beckham has made it very obvious where his loyalties lie when it comes to his family with a shocking new Instagram post alongside wife Nicola Peltz

Brooklyn Beckham has finally made his feelings crystal clear amid his ongoing feud with his family in a cutting Instagram post.

Brooklyn, 26, who is David and Victoria Beckham’s eldest son, has been notably absent from their lives for months now after reports of a feud between him and his parents, wife Nicola Peltz and his younger brother Romeo. Now tearaway Brooklyn has vowed he will “always choose” his wife Nicola Peltz after claims that she has been the catalyst behind the mass fall out.

Sharing a video to his Instagram Brooklyn is seen riding a red motorcycle with Nicola, 30, sat behind with her arms wrapped around him as they travel along the road. He puts his hand up to hold and caress her arm in the clip which he shared alongside a telling caption.

He wrote: “My whole world x I will love you forever x I always choose you baby x you’re the most amazing person i know xx me and you forever baby.” Brooklyn and Nicola live in Los Angeles while David and Victoria are based in the UK.

Brooklyn was seen riding a motorcycle with Nicola(Image: INSTAGRAM)

The pair skipped David’s 50th birthday celebrations both in Miami and London, with them remaining silent on social media for both David and Victoria’s birthdays in a huge snub to both parents. Brooklyn also chose to ignore his mum publicly on Mother’s Day and didn’t join his siblings in posting tributes online.

In an apparent ‘us agains the world’ show of solidarity, Nicola posted Brooklyn’s ‘I choose you’ video to her own page. The heiress wrote alongside it: “I’ve always got you baby,” followed by a burning love heart emoji. Fans immediately reacted angrily to the stunt, with many telling the pair to ‘grow up’ and calling for Brooklyn to contact his mother before it’s too late.

After Brooklyn’s defiant post caused shockwaves his youngest brother Cruz waded into the row with an emotional response. Cruz stuck up for their famous parents and said he and his siblings were ‘blessed’ to have them in their lives.

Taking to Instagram to share a family photo, that notably included Brooklyn, Cruz wrote: “I love my family, I love you guys more than anything, mum & dad you gave us life and cared for us no matter what, I cannot tell you how blessed we all are to have you in our lives x.”

Cruz Beckham insisted he and his siblings were ‘lucky’ to have David and Victoria as parents

The disagreement between the family members was thought to have been triggered by Romeo’s relationship with Brooklyn’s former love interest Kim Turnbull. Reports suggested that Brooklyn did not trust her motives in dating his younger sibling and that he had refused to attend any family gathering or event where she would be.

Now, allegations have surfaced that Brooklyn’s wife Nicola behaved poorly towards his former girlfriend – a situation insiders say ignited a long-standing tension between the brothers.

While some have pointed fingers at Romeo’s current partner Kim, 24 – who once briefly dated Brooklyn in 2016 – as the source of friction, those close to the situation claim the seeds of discord were actually sown much earlier. Sources say the family’s trouble dates back to preparations for Brooklyn and Nicola’s extravagant wedding in Florida in 2022.

Brooklyn snubbed both David and Victoria’s birthdays recently(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

During the lead-up, and even at the wedding itself, Nicola is said to have completely ignored Romeo’s then-girlfriend, Mia Regan – despite her and Romeo having been together for three years at that point.

Guests were reportedly left perplexed by the bride’s attitude, describing it as “absolutely baffling.” Adding to the awkwardness, Romeo served as one of Brooklyn’s best men alongside their younger brother Cruz, now 20.

“Brooklyn and Romeo have been fighting for a significant amount of time,” a source told the Daily Mail. “They do not get on. It has been so difficult for David and Victoria.”

The brothers, once extremely close and known for doting on their younger siblings Cruz and Harper, 13, have grown apart, the insider added. “Things have been terrible for a long time. It has upset their mum and dad so much. All they ever wanted was a big, happy family.”

If Princess Diana were alive she’d have dragged her warring sons together to resolve their differences, says the Edward White, the author of a new book exploring her enduring legacy – especially with Gen Z

The question of what is Princess Diana’s true legacy and which of her sons embodies it best divides William and Harry to this day, says an author(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Although it’s been 27 years since Princess Diana died, her grip on the public imagination grows stronger with every year that passes as Gen Z teens and twenty-somethings become the latest devotees to fall under her spell.

Many see her complicated, emotional personality living on in Prince Harry, who recently made headlines with a BBC interview in which he said, “I would love reconciliation with my family”. It certainly begs the question of how Diana would have responded to the enduring tensions between her sons.

“Doubtless, she’d have been horrified,” says author Edward White, who has explored her enduring appeal in his new book Dianaworld. “But her sons are arguing about what their mother’s true legacy is. Diana said that she was trying to raise a future king that would ensure the monarchy survived into the 21st century – and William is trying to do a Diana reboot of the monarchy, combining the best of his mother and his grandmother.“

But the other faction of Diana-ists could say that Harry is the real defender of her true legacy. “There’s something about Diana that encourages people to read whatever they want to read into her. The way people can look at Diana as embodying totally differing sides of an argument even applies to her sons,” he says.

Author Edward White says William and Harry don’t agree about their mother’s true legacy – is it William’s attempt at rebooting the monarchy or is Harry the true defender of what she stood for?(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)

But Edward is confident that Diana would have got the brothers in the same room to thrash out their differences. And, though he considers Diana and Meghan to be “extremely different people”, he believes that Diana would have warmed to her daughter-in-law.

“Meghan has this preternatural force to advance herself, she’s got strategies and plans. With Diana, it was all improvised and haphazard. But I think if Diana felt that Meghan made her son happy, she’d have been well disposed towards her. And Meghan and the two children seem to have brought Harry much more happiness than being a member of the Royal Family did.”

It has been almost three decades since Diana’s untimely death left a gaping hole in the lives of her loved ones. But her legend endures online – and Edward says it’s not so surprising that Diana is a poster girl for fans who weren’t even born in her lifetime.

“The internet is drenched in Diana,” he says. “The way she would talk about her mental fragilities, her problems with eating disorders, the struggle she had after her children were born… She was a trailblazer, and the godmother of a younger generation who talk about their interior lives a lot.

“There’s something about Diana that encourages people to read whatever they want to read into her,” says Edward White, about the Princess of Wales, pictured here with William and Harry on Harry’s first day at Eton in 1995(Image: WireImage)

“And she would cry in public. Even before she got married, there were a couple of instances where she was crying in front of photographers. This was astonishing at the time. She also emerged at a point when there was lots of new technology, like VHS and VCR, so there are videos and documentaries about her.”

This footage all plays out online, where Diana is also a posthumous influencer and style icon. “She liked experimenting with the way she looked so there are loads of Instagram accounts set up to document her looks – ‘Diana’s revenge looks’, ‘Diana’s lesbian looks’, ‘Diana’s sporty looks’. There are loads of Instagram accounts because there are so many paparazzi photographs of Diana.”

But perhaps there’s a more fundamental reason for her enduring legend. “Her story is astonishing,” says Edward. “You couldn’t write a more extraordinary melodrama.”

Edward, who was 15 when Diana died, is by no means an obsessive fan. But, when lockdown struck, he felt that the national atmosphere echoed the mourning period that followed her death, and he began to research Dianaworld. How did the Diana who emerged from his deep dive differ from his initial perception of who she was?

Although she had style and glamour, Diana also made people laugh and had a sharp sense of humour(Image: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

“She was probably funnier,” he says. “Almost everybody says she’s very smiley. The word giggly comes up all the time in books about Diana. But she made people laugh. She had quite a sharp sense of humour. That’s surprising because in public, she’s completely sincere about everything. But in private, she was able to laugh at herself. She had more irony and self awareness than sometimes we give her credit for.

“It’s difficult to meet anybody who met her and had a bad word to say about her. People just instantly liked her. She had amazingly good social skills, she seemed to be very, very likeable, and I think sincerely cared about people. So there’s a huge amount to like about her.”

He found her contradictions fascinating. “She’s got this incredible mixture of being bashful, and being unbelievably bold to the point of sheer recklessness. She seemed to think that if she wasn’t taking the most extreme course of action to remedy a problem, then she wasn’t actually taking any action at all.”

He gives an example of her legendary Panorama interview, where she secretly smuggled a TV crew into Kensington Palace and spoke with unprecedented candour about her personal life. “I think she came to regret that because it caused upset and aggravation and genuine hurt to people around her. Supposedly Prince William in particular was very upset by it.”

Dianaworld author Edward White says, “She was only 19 when she got engaged to Prince Charles and she wasn’t a worldly 19-year-old at all. So it came as a shock to her”(Image: Getty Images)

Diana’s instinctive impulse to speak her mind made her the Royal Family’s worst nightmare. “She was only 19 when she got engaged to Prince Charles and she wasn’t a worldly 19-year-old at all. So it came as a shock to her. To this day, the monarchy rests on twin principles of secrecy and deference. But her approach to being a royal paid no heed to secrecy or deference.

“Everything was on the surface with Diana. It was like it was impossible for her to not communicate what she was thinking or feeling, even when she was saying nothing. The newspaper coverage of her from the early Eighties has so much discussion about her facial expressions. Everybody was convinced they could tell what she was trying to tell them with the tilt of her head or those big expressive eyes.”

Poignantly, in the last year of her life, Diana was exploring what the rest of her life might look like, and how she could channel her extraordinary public profile. “There was a suggestion that she’d used Mohamed Al Fayed’s money to open an international chain of hospices. So I suppose she was inching towards something that Prince Harry tried to do with the Invictus Games – those globe-trotting, jet-setting, international philanthropy projects.”

It’s difficult, Edward says, to generalise about who Diana was. “She was a very complicated figure. She was quite a capricious person. And she changed a lot during the 15 years that she was in the Royal Family. “But she became aware of and valued her personal agency. By the end of her life, her guiding precept was that she was no longer a Spencer or a Windsor or a princess, really – she was Diana.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still very much estranged from their royal relatives and no longer speak to King Charles or Prince William. However, according to one royal expert, the Prince of Wales allegedly shielded his younger brother and sister in law from a ‘very public insult’

Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Image: Getty Images for W+P)

They may be leading a very different life in California from the one they sensationally quit as working royals in the UK. But one thing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have continued to use, despite no longer being part of the working monarchy, is their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles.

The subject of the pair’s royal titles has created controversy in recent weeks, and there has been speculation about whether Prince William might decide to strip them from the couple once he becomes king. While the former working royals are no longer supposed to use their HRH titles for commercial reasons, Harry and Meghan still very much present themselves as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, titles which were gifted to them by Queen Elizabeth II on their wedding day in 2018.

The couple were given their Sussex titles on their wedding day (Image: REUTERS)

There have been repeated calls from the anti-Sussex camp to strip them of the titles, but no indication that King Charles has any intention of doing so. Yet with William, 42, next in line to the throne, rumours have circulated that he might take a different stance, especially since he and Harry, 40, are no longer on speaking terms and, according to royal expert Jennie Bond, could be estranged forever.

But she warned that it might not be something we ever see happen, especially given the complexity of taking away titles. She told the Mirror: “Granted, there seems to be a public appetite for stripping them of their titles, but I think it’s unlikely that William would choose to do this. It would seem, and in fact would be, quite vindictive. There is also the question of whether a monarch can indeed do this.

“Some titles could be removed on the will of the Sovereign, but the universal view is that to strip someone of their Peerage demands an act of Parliament. Harry became Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron of Kilkeel when he married in 2018.

“And it would be a brave government to venture into that field when there are, in all honesty, so many more pressing issues. King Edward VIII remained a Duke for the rest of his life, even though he lived in exile.

Prince William on a trip to Leith earlier this week (Image: Getty Images)

“William may remain estranged from his brother forever, even though this would be a very sad state of affairs. But, if he does, I think he will continue to regard Harry simply as irrelevant to his life and to this country. And I don’t think he would trouble himself with taking away either of their titles.”

Harry and Meghan’s children – Archie, six, and Lilibet, who turns four next week – were not automatically prince and princess at birth because they were not the grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch at the time.

But they earned the right in September 2022, when Charles acceded to the throne, and they’re now officially Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, sixth and seventh in the line of succession.

The couple with their children Archie and Lilibet (Image: ARCHWELL)

Following a backlash from those questioning the decision, given the couple’s earlier move to distance themselves from the royal family, the Sussex camp released a statement which said: “The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch. This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.”

Meghan also stirred up another title debate last month, when a podcast video revealed she had sent a gift basket with an accompanying card to a friend, which read: “With the compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex.” Sources from the Sussex camp insisted it wasn’t a breach of the agreement, as they are still entitled to use HRH in private.

When they stepped back from royal duties in 2020, a statement from Buckingham Palace said: “The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the royal family.”

Jennie suspects, given the evidence that Meghan still uses the HRH title, that the couple would be “hurt and angry” if William were to remove them completely. “For Harry and Meghan, it would, of course, be a very public insult,” she said.

“Curiously, even though they have turned their backs on rejoining the working royals, they seem very wedded to the idea that their children should use their royal titles. And Meghan is clearly not averse to using her HRH, even though she was expressly told not to.

“So I’m sure they would be hurt and angry if theirs were taken from them. It would, inevitably, reduce their standing, particularly, perhaps, in the eyes of the American public, who seem to adore royalty. But I simply do not think this is going to happen.”

As ITV axes jobs and trims Loose Women to 30 weeks a year, we look back at the show’s wildest moments from C-bomb chaos to celebrity feuds—that made headlines and shook daytime TV

Loose Women itself is being cut back to a ‘seasonal’ schedule of 30 weeks a year(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

As ITV’s daytime lineup faces a shake-up, with sweeping job cuts dubbed a “bloodbath” threatening nearly half of its staff, it’s hard not to reflect on the rollercoaster year Loose Women has delivered on screen.

Whilst the show’s future is uncertain, it is known for its lively debates and candid revelations, which have created some of the most bizarre, emotional, and headline-grabbing moments.

Many are in shock at the news that nearly 220 staff members could lose their jobs across ITV’s daytime schedule, affecting flagship shows like Loose Women, Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, and This Morning.

Loose Women itself is being cut back to a “seasonal” schedule of 30 weeks a year in cost-saving measures. But before the dust settles on these dramatic changes, there have been some truly unforgettable moments that made Loose Women a must-watch, from shocking confessions to celebrity clashes.

Loose Women is no stranger to controversy, with many moments that have made headlines across the country. Here’s a look at the bizarre and unforgettable moments that kept viewers glued to their screens:

Judy Finnigan’s comments about rape sparked controversy(Image: ITV)

‘Rapist sympathising’ storm

Judy Finnigan made a controversial debut in 2014 when she spoke about footballer Ched Evans’ rape conviction appeal, saying: “The rape was not violent, he didn’t cause any bodily harm to the person.”

Outraged viewers accused her of sympathising with a rapist. She later clarified: “I absolutely wasn’t suggesting that rape was anything other than an horrendous crime… I was in no way attempting to minimise the terrible ordeal that any woman suffers as a result.”

Earlier in 2006, the Irish Independent reported that Loose Women conducted a poll asking viewers whether they believed rape could ever be a woman’s fault. The poll was met with widespread criticism from viewers and organizations such as Rape Crisis, leading ITV to issue an apology, acknowledging the poll as “misjudged”.

Harvey shocked viewers with his response to trolls (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

In 2016, Katie Price’s son Harvey shocked viewers when he joined the show to talk about online bullying. Asked how he’d respond to trolls, he said: “Hello, you c***.”

Katie quickly reacted with, “Erm, Harvey!”, as Andrea McLean stepped in to apologise for the language.

In 2015, Coleen Nolan sparked fury by defending a bakery that refused to decorate a cake supporting same-sex marriage. She compared it to being asked to make a cake with an ISIS message, saying: “Would they have to make that?”

The comments prompted outrage, with viewers demanding she be sacked, though no action was taken.

Joan Rivers swears on Loose Women

Joan Rivers’ swear-filled red carpet rant

Comedy legend Joan Rivers didn’t hold back in 2008 when asked about her Hollywood encounters: “You get someone like Russell Crowe, and you want to say to the camera, ‘ He is a piece – get ready to bleep this – of f****** s***!’”

Her panellist pals had to scramble to apologise, with Jane McDonald quipping: “We haven’t got a bleeper. We’re live!”

Fat-shaming fury

Janet Street-Porter faced backlash in 2022 after saying Wayne Rooney looked like he was “about to explode” out of his suit during the Wagatha Christie trial.

Angry viewers branded her “vile”, with one asking: “Imagine if she was saying that about a woman?”

Continuing with the theme of fat-shaming, in 2015, the BBC reported Jamelia faced criticism after stating that high street stores shouldn’t stock clothes for individuals above a certain size, suggesting that it encourages unhealthy lifestyles. She later apologised, clarifying that her comments were taken out of context.

Katie Price’s bum flash

Viewers were left open-mouthed in 2016 when Katie Price modelled a high-slit dress during a fashion segment and accidentally flashed her bum on live TV.

Some called it “awkward viewing” – others hailed her figure as “amazing”.

Kim Woodburn walks out

Tensions erupted in 2018 when Kim Woodburn stormed off set, branding Coleen Nolan “lying trash” and calling her a “piece of filth” after a brutal on-air clash.

The explosive row prompted over 3,000 Ofcom complaints, with Kim later claiming she’d been ambushed.

Coleen and the panel said they had “genuinely hoped for a reconciliation”.

Charlotte Crosby’s nose job clash

Charlotte Crosby vowed never to return after feeling “bullied” over her nose job in 2016.

In an awkward grilling, Janet Street-Porter asked: “What message does that send to teenage girls who… might think, ‘My nose has a lump in it but I haven’t got four grand to spend’?”

Charlotte told new! Magazine: “It was a horrible experience. I cried before and afterwards. I was bullied. I’m never going on again in my life.”

Josie Cunningham’s abortion for nose job confession

In 2015, there was outrage and a public backlash after Josie Cunninham revealed that she had an abortion so that she could get nose job to further her porn career. Jane Moore heavily criticised her being on the show, stating: “I was very uncomfortable with you coming on the show today. I don’t like the fact that you are on the show. It’s not because I don’t like you.

“You need help as far as I’m concerned, to actually look at yourself and say, ‘Why do I have such a low opinion of myself that I think that porn and all of this’…you don’t have any self-esteem and when you look in the mirror I feel that you will never like what you see.”

Loose Women will air at the same time as usual but only for 30 weeks of the year. Following the announcement, it has been said that the panellists are ‘stressed and angry’

‘Terrified’ Loose Women stars ‘in state of panic’ after brutal ITV changes(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

The Loose Women stars are said to be ‘in a state of panic and up in arms’ after it was revealed the ITV show will air beween 12.30pm and 1.30pm like usual but only for 30 weeks of the year like Lorraine.

ITV recently announced that Lorraine’s show will just air between 9.30 and 10am each day for 30 weeks of the year, in line with other seasonal presenters. As a result Good Morning Britain will be extended until 9.30am each day and when Lorraine is not on air, the show will be extended until 10am with This Morning airing after in its usual slot.

Loose Women will air at the same time but for only 30 weeks of the year

Meanwhile, Loose Women will air at the same time as usual but only for 30 weeks of the year. Following the announcement, it has been said that the panellists are ‘stressed and angry’ as the show makes up a huge part of their livelihoods.

“Ruth, Kaye, Nadia and Denise, in particular, have been reaching out to the production team in a panic and to express how angry they are that ITV had made this decision,” it has been said.

A source also claimed to MailOnline: “Loose Women and Lorraine dropping down in their schedule will badly affect Christine Lampard, she anchors for both shows so most of her yearly work is now at stake.”

Good Morning Britain will be extended until 9.30am each day and when Lorraine is not on air(Image: ITV)

According to the insider, the cast thinks the broadcaster could be letting go of key talent in favour of the younger stars.

They said: “Now, the show will air just 30 weeks a year, so a lot of people are going to lose their jobs. There won’t be enough shows to go around, so it means presenters who have been on the series for 25 years may be kicked off the panel.”

The Mirror have reached out to ITV for comment.

Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of ITV’s Media and Entertainment Division, explained of the huge changes: “Daytime is a really important part of what we do, and these scheduling and production changes will enable us to continue to deliver a schedule providing viewers with the news, debate and discussion they love from the presenters they know and trust as well generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres.

“These changes also allow us to consolidate our news operations and expand our national, international and regional news output and to build upon our proud history of trusted journalism at a time when our viewers need accurate, unbiased news coverage more than ever. I recognise that our plans will have an impact on staff off screen in our Daytime production teams.”

He added: “We will work with ITV Studios and ITN as they manage these changes to produce the shows differently from next year, and support them through this transition.

“Daytime has been a core element of ITV’s schedule for over 40 years and these changes will set ITV up to continue to bring viewers award winning news, views and discussion as we enter our eighth decade.”

Most recently, ITV has introduced the Loose podcast, which will be returning later this year, and is an extension of the brand.

ITV will undergo major changes to their Daytime offerings – including Good Morning Britain(Image: RAY BURMISTON)

On Monday, the nearly 500 members of staff across ITV’s roster of beloved daytime shows realised that something was wrong. An email was allegedly sent out by the managing editor of daytime – Emma Gormley – ordering them to attend an emergency meeting the following day, and there was no option to join proceedings remotely. Instead, they were all expected to be there in person, with little notice.

When they arrived at the TC1 studio for the meeting – where hit programs like the Graham Norton Show are filmed – little was reportedly done to relieve their growing anxieties. Instead, what they were met with was chaos, insiders told the Daily Mail, and they quickly realised after sweeping cuts were announced that they had walked into a “bloodbath” – with 220 of them reportedly set to lose their jobs.

Stressed and worried staff weren’t even given the opportunity at the emergency meeting to ask any questions about their professional future – though it is reported ITV is planning on running another meeting, providing the opportunity for staff to do so when management is properly briefed on the answers they can give.

“There will be one team working across what’s left of Lorraine and Loose Women as well as This Morning”, a source told the Mail. “Things are going to be streamlined – and then some.”

They added: “”There is so much panic and so much worry. For such a long time ITV was seen as a safe place to work but, right now, there are very few people who are actually not going to be affected by the cuts.”

Lorraine Kelly attending the Bafta TV Awards 2024(Image: PA Archive)

ITV’s roster of daytime shows including, Loose Women, Good Morning Britain (GMB), This Morning, and Lorraine are all set for a huge overhaul. Good Morning Britain, hosted by Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid, will, from next year, be produced by ITN – ITV’s news provider – with only 38 of the 113 staff on the early morning magazine show being kept on.

Lorraine, which has been on the air for 16 years, has seen some of the most devastating cuts: instead of airing 52 weeks of the year, it will only be on TV screens for 30 weeks, and it has had its running time slashed in half from 60 minutes to half an hour. GMB will have its runtime extended during the weeks Lorraine is not on air, going from 6 am to 10 am.

Loose Woman is also being reduced to 30 weeks a year, back into a “seasonal” schedule that it used to occupy until 2016. Whilst its running time has not been cut, staying at its usual hour, bosses are reported to be displeased by the regular falling out amongst the presenters, and the controversies that come with them.

Loose Women has been cut back to only 30 weeks a year(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

The schedule of This Morning – hosted by Alison Hammond, Cat Deeley, Dermot O’Leary, and Ben Shephard – will remain the same, still on air between 10.30 and Noon on weekdays, but will still be subjected to job cuts if the proposal that the daytime teams merge goes ahead.

A source speaking to the Mail explained that Lorraine Kelly’s absences from hosting her daytime show – leaving Christine Lampard and Ranvir Singh to fill in for her hosting duties regularly – had played a part in the cuts, adding that the bosses at ITV are “besotted” with Susanna Reid of GMB, who they “favour” over Lorraine.

They claim that bosses had to keep arranging cover for the presenter, with Christine and Ranvir luckily able to step in at the right moment. The outlet also reported that she’d be facing a salary cut amid her reduced screentime.

Insiders revealed to The Mirror that the major cuts to Lorraine’s show have left staff fearing that the BAFTA-winning presenter might quit altogether, and they called the new schedule a “kick in the teeth” after the recent ratings for the show had been the highest in the last four years.

“There are genuine fears among staff that Lorraine may decide to walk if the quality of the show they are putting out declines. It’s hard to see how standards won’t fall….and there are questions over whether Lorraine will want to be associated with that. Lorraine and her team are perfectionists – it’s why the show is loved by so many,” said one source.

GMB’s Susanna Reid is said to be “favoured’ over Lorraine by ITV bosses(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Another added, “This is a presenter who has just come back from having an operation, has won a BAFTA, is enjoying record ratings….and then ITV show their appreciation by yanking her off air half the year. Staff are beside themselves, and have been in tears constantly. It doesn’t make any sense given the trajectory the show is on.”

However, the Mirror has since been told that the rumours swirling around Lorraine Kelly’s suspected departure are “simply not true”. Though insiders at ITV have explained there is a sense of “collective devastation” amongst the daytime staff at the prospect of nearly half of them losing their jobs, with one saying: “The devastation among the staff is palpable after the announcement. To say it blindsided them would be an understatement.”

With GMB being absorbed into ITN, they will move from White City Studios to Gray’s Inn Road, where the rest of the news output is already produced, and one team will make both the magazine-style morning show and ITV News, something that is reported to have been dreamed up by the new director of news and current affairs for ITV – formerly the editor of ITV News – Andrew Dagnell.

A source speaking to the Mail laid some of the blame for these massive job cuts – which aim to save £50 million, which will be reinvested into other departments, like sports and drama – at the door of previous scandals, which they say were badly handled. These include the departure of long-time This Morning host Philip Schofield after it emerged he had engaged in an affair with a younger male colleague, and the cancelling of the Jeremy Kyle Show back in 2019 after the death of Steve Dymond, who is believed to have killed himself only a week after appearing on the show.

Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby were once TV’s golden duo(Image: Pixel8000)

An insider told the Mirror that there had been rumours that major change was afoot, particularly when it came to GMB, but it was a total shock to the staff and crews that they would be this wide-ranging. “There had been whispers going round for some time over a merger between ITV News and Good Morning Britain, but no indication that the Daytime shows would be affected.

“We still don’t know how many people are going to lose their jobs, but rumours around 50% of the entire staff from GMB, Lorraine and This Morning will be affected which is staggering. All of the shows are produced by teams of super dedicated professionals, everyone is completely devastated,” they said. The Mirror has approached ITV for comment.

ITV insist that GMB moving under the ITN banner will provide it with extra resources and journalistic expertise and that the show will include more regional news, exclusive investigations and reporting on the day’s news from 2026.

GMB will be produced by ITN(Image: ITV)

Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of ITV’s Media and Entertainment Division, has said about the major changes: “Daytime is a really important part of what we do, and these scheduling and production changes will enable us to continue to deliver a schedule providing viewers with the news, debate and discussion they love from the presenters they know and trust as well generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres.

“These changes also allow us to consolidate our news operations and expand our national, international and regional news output and to build upon our proud history of trusted journalism at a time when our viewers need accurate, unbiased news coverage more than ever.”

Lygo added, “I recognise that our plans will have an impact on staff off screen in our Daytime production teams, and we will work with ITV Studios and ITN as they manage these changes to produce the shows differently from next year, and support them through this transition.

“Daytime has been a core element of ITV’s schedule for over 40 years and these changes will set ITV up to continue to bring viewers award winning news, views and discussion as we enter our eighth decade.”