Huge ITV daytime show scrapped this week in schedule shake-up
A HUGE ITV daytime show has been scrapped this week in a dramatic schedule shake-up.
The Euro 2024 tournament might be heaven for footie fans yet those who crave a lifestyle programme full of conversational topics and showbiz gossip are set to miss out.
This is because weekday series Loose Women will be scrapped on June 19 and 20.
The ITV episode’s regular weekday slot at 1230pm will instead be filled by the ITV Lunchtime News, running for 30 minutes.
This will be followed at 1pm on both Wednesday and Thursday by coverage of the UEFA tournament, this year held in Germany.
On Wednesday, the channel will showcase the clash between Croatia and Albania, which kicks off at 2pm.
The following day, football fans can tune into the match between Slovenia and Serbia – with England triumphing over the latter in a 1-0 victory on Sunday.
Again, this match kicks off at 2pm.
TV CULL
It comes just days after The Sun exclusively reported how Loose Womn stars feared huge culls as ITV planned massive cuts to the schedule.
Sources have claimed it is “panic stations” with big-name contracts reviewed shows frantically getting re-jigged and switched-up.
Loose Women presenters – such as Ruth Langsford and Coleen Nolan – may also be at risk following a recent diversity drive as ITV strives to save money.
A source told us: “It’s panic station time.
“The presenters’ contracts are under major review when they come to expire — normally in August or September — and further cuts have been warned of.
“Editors are so concerned that they are sending staff daily ‘heat maps’ on ratings, showing which items lost viewers.
“A few of the Loose Women panel are worried too, as so many new faces have been brought in and some have worked better than others.”
Regular Loose Women panellists
Katie Piper – Former Strictly Come Dancing star, activist, model and author
Sunetra Sarker – Also a former Strictly Come Dancing star, and known for acting in Casualty
Kaye Adams – Scottish journalist and one of the original Loose Women
Christine Lampard – ITV presenter
Ruth Langsford – Presented Loose Women on and off since 1999
Jane Moore – Former columnist for The Sun
Coleen Nolan – Became known for her family girl band called The Nolans and went on to compete on Celeb Big Brother
Nadia Sawalha – Former EastEnders star and Celebrity MasterChef winner
Stacey Solomon – Known for her reality show Sort Your Life Out and winning series 10 of I’m a Celeb
Janet Street-Porter – A journalist and president of the Ramblers’ Association
Brenda Edwards – Came fourth on the X Factor and went on to become a pop star and act in hit musicals such as Hairspray
Charlene White – Lead presenter at ITV News London
Kelly Bryan – Former EastEnders star and was in a girl group called Eternal alongside her sisters. Currently part of the cast of Hollyoaks
Frankie Bridge – Participated in Strictly Come Dancing and came third place on I’m A Celeb in 2021
Judi Love – A stand up comedian and radio presenter, who has also made a variety of TV appearances in shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity MasterChef, and Taskmaster
Linda Robson – Played iconic character Tracey Stubbs in Birds of a Feather
Denise Welch – A soap queen, she starred in Coronation Street, Waterloo Road and Hollyoaks. Also the mother of Matty Healy, the lead singer of pop rock group the 1975.
Contracts have been a point of contention off-screen numerous times.
Former Loose Women panelist Carol McGiffin previously told how she had “stepped back” from the show amid a “totally unjust” contract dispute.
More recently, fellow straight-talking star Janet Street-Porter was also revealed to be in a row with bosses “over contracts.”
VOTED OUT
We previously reported how a trio of ITV daytime shows – these being Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women – would be culled for the channel’s General Election coverage.
On Friday, July 5, Good Morning Britain will be extended for an extra 25 minutes – eating into Lorraine’s show time – before Julie Etchingham will lead the broadcaster’s UK General Election coverage in a special show.
This means the Lorraine episode will be scrapped completely on the day.
ITV has claimed GMB will play its part with “up-to-the-minute election news and insights” on July 5, when the results and exit polls projections start to roll in.
Former Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls, 57, will front the coverage alongside Susanna Reid, 53 – who does not normally present on a Friday.
An ITV spokesperson revealed the Good Morning Britain plans and said: “The studio will host the best, brightest, most outspoken and listened to political policy makers and commentators in the country including leading political punditry pairing Andrew Pierce and Kevin Maguire, former PM Boris Johnson’s communications chief Guto Harri, Labour veteran Harriet Harman, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng and newly enobled Labour peer Ayesha Hazarika who will all join as guests as the show continues to cover up-to-the-minute election news and insights through to 9.25am.”