ITV is under fire after flying TWO presenters to the Seychelles for a competition segment — just weeks after a brutal jobs bloodbath
ITV faced a number of complaints today as furious viewers asked why two presenters were sent overseas for the competition segment.
Both Lisa Snowdon and Andi Peters are in the Seychelles fronting one of ITV’s competitions.
However, against a backdrop of huge cuts at the network, viewers have questioned if both presenters needed to be flown out to front the segment.
Lisa Snowdon is in the Seychelles fronting one of the ITV competitions this week (Credit: ITV)
ITV cuts… yet competitions still filmed overseas?
Last May, ITV announced huge cuts. Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women were all affected.
Lorraine Kelly and her daytime show has arguably been the hardest hit. It’s been cut from 60 minutes to 30, and will only run over 30 weeks of the year, instead of the usual 52. This means that Lorraine’s half-term stand-ins, Christine Lampard and Ranvir Singh, have seen their roles on the show slashed.
Lorraine’s runtime has been slashed, and she is only on screen for 30 weeks of the year (Credit: ITV)
Loose Women has lost its studio audience, and therefore warm-up man Lee Peart. It, too, only runs across 30 weeks of the year now.
And a number of cuts to staff working behind the scenes have also taken place.
So, when viewers saw Andi Peters in the Seychelles on Lorraine, and Lisa Snowdon there during This Morning and Loose Women, complaints poured in.
Christine Lampard’s role on Lorraine has also been cut back (Credit: ITV)
‘How bloody ridiculous!’
One viewer posted: “Seychelles, yet ITV is broke?”
Another shared: “Someone please explain how ITV can justify sending Lisa Snowdon to the Seychelles just to announce a competition?” A third posted: “Link over to the fake smile Lisa Snowdon sitting on a boat promoting ITV’s competition. Andi Peters could do all the segments from 06:00 save on a salary for Lisa. ITV, get your act together (Job Cuts).”
“Andi Peters on GMB and Lisa on This Morning, both in the Seychelles touting the same competition,” another shared. “What a joke! Real people losing their jobs at ITV – shows, production, warm-up guys etc… but still sending Lisa Snowdon to the Seychelles. How bloody ridiculous!!” said another.
Another was just as angry: “Half the bloody ITV staff are away on a jolly to the Seychelles.” “It’s grotesque that they send Andi Peters to the Caribbean for a comp. He’s admitted he treats it like a holiday and ITV has just made so many people redundant,” another shared.
“What? They’ve sent Andi Peters *as well as* Lisa Snowdon to the Seychelles to flog the competition. No wonder ITV is skint,” another commented.
Andi Peters is also in the Seychelles (Credit: ITV)
ITV competitions defended
Others explained how ITV might justify the expense, though.
One alleged that the premium rate number viewers can use to enter the competition likely pays for the overseas trips the presenters enjoy.
In response to one of the comments online, they posted: “Paid by the cash the competition generates.”
