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ITV’s Daytime division is on the brink of civil war after this week’s brutal cost-cutting announcement hammered Loose Women while leaving This Morning sitting pretty.
We can reveal the Loose Women line-up had been left in the dark about the cuts to their lunchtime talk show, which will take effect from January.
Shutterstock EditorialLoose Women favourites, from left, Charlene White, Coleen Nolan, Janet Street-Porter and Katie Piper[/caption]
The Loose Women line-up had been left in the dark about the cuts to their lunchtime talk showRex
Charlene White with Denise Welch on the ITV showRex
None of the 26-strong pool of hosts including big-hitters Coleen Nolan, Christine Lampard and Gloria Hunniford had been warned the show will be shrunk to screen “seasonally”, for 30 weeks of the year.
The old guard — some of whom have been on board since day one 25 years ago — now fear they will be left scrambling for shifts while the PR-friendly younger panellists like Love Islander turned documentary-maker Olivia Attwood, influencer Grace “GK” Barry and Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge clean up.
Their anger is also with Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard’s This Morning, which has escaped the measures unscathed despite the show’s troubled recent history.
A source at ITV HQ said: “The tension is unbearable. There’s a lot of rage towards This Morning, which everyone feels is constantly favoured despite it being the lame duck of the daytime flock.
“The infighting is a feverish time-bomb which executives are desperate to defuse.
“ITV Daytime could combust from the inside out at this rate.”
‘Fight for their places’
The cuts to Loose Women, which were announced on Tuesday, mean it will be stripped of more than 100 episodes a year.
The cast are now acutely aware this means there will be less work up for grabs, with a third expected to lose out on shifts, and The Sun has learned the old-timers reckon bosses will favour the youngsters.
A source close to one of the Loose Women veterans said: “A lot of the older panellists have lived through rumours of cuts and through the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 which hit ITV hard — and they weathered that.
“But this was completely unexpected and it came out of nowhere.
“They feel like often all the negative criticism is levelled at them — the odd “out of touch” comment — whereas with the new panellists such as Liv and Grace there is a buzz around them because they have that different point of view.
“Execs have also proudly pro-claimed how the youngsters have brought with them a much-needed new audience — and now all of a sudden the older panellists feel like they are going to have to fight for their places against these shiny teachers’ pets.
“It’s now five months or so for them to prove their worth and sing for their supper.”
An ITV source insisted Loose Women’s older panellists are highly valued, and celebrated by the show’s Over 60 and Over 70 specials, while the programme’s new podcast would keep everyone busy.
ITV has also said it will try to preserve “the look” of each of their daytime shows and not touch talent — yet.
It is thought that means Loose Women’s four stalwart presenters, Christine, Kaye Adams, Charlene White and Ruth Langsford, are all safe.
This was completely unexpected and it came out of nowhere
A sourceBut others are now nervously looking over their shoulder.
Our source added: “The older panellists feel like until January they’re on probation and pragmatic bosses will be scrutinising their every tweet, every rating and audience polling — everything like that.
Lorraine Kelly’s chat show is cut by half an hourRex
Loose Women’s Christine Lampard and Ruth Langsford are thought to be safeRex
“The younger panellists can charge more for an Instagram post than they get for a Loose Women appearance but the older ladies really rely on the regular fees.
“Some of the panel’s agents have better relationships with the show’s producers than others and that’s another thing adding further tension.”
There is also disparity around how the various Loose Women are paid, with some on PAYE and others on a freelance rate, although while the take-home differs, every star is thought to be on the same fee of £3,000 per episode.
Their earnings pale, though, when compared with the salaries on This Morning of Cat, Ben, Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, who are thought to be raking in more than £500,000 a year.
Yet it’s not just the salaries of the glossy foursome on This Morning that are riling their Daytime counterparts at ITV.
The schedule overhauls in the new year will also see the Good Morning Britain slot extended by 30 minutes while Lorraine Kelly’s chat show is cut by half an hour.
ITV Daytime could combust from the inside out at this rate
A sourceA worker on the Lorraine show told The Sun: “Everyone is absolutely furious that This Morning has got away with it yet again.
Schofield claims
“There’s a feeling that Loose Women and Lorraine are delivering resilient, solid ratings while This Morning is always in the Press for its tumbling viewing figures. Loose Women is even winning awards.
“Never mind the Phillip Schofield scandal and then Holly Willoughby leaving, This Morning is like the black sheep and yet that’s the show that is not facing any cuts.”
In its heyday, This Morning enjoyed ratings of 2.7million viewers but now it is lucky to scrape 500,000.
Schofield departed This Morning in May 2023, following claims he had engaged in an extra-marital affair with a young male colleague who first joined the show as an intern.
Holly quit five months later after a man was arrested — later to be jailed — for plotting to kidnap, rape and kill her.
Meanwhile Loose Women won a prestigious Royal Television Society award this year and was nominated for a TV Bafta.
But a source close to Lorraine Kelly suggested that for personal reasons she “welcomed” the cut to her show, which previously ran for an hour.
The beloved presenter, 65, will also now work across five days instead of taking Fridays off, and our source said: “It was said she might decide to walk over the news but in fact the shorter run will give her more time with her family each day.”
“Lorraine’s only concern is if the standard of the show drops through losing key members of the team — which I suppose is a concern across the board.
“But with the Loose Women now all forced to spend every shift effectively auditioning for their own role, it’ll surely affect how bold, feisty and loose they’re prepared to be.”
Some 220 production staff will lose their jobs as part of the changes at ITV but boss Kevin Lygo has pledged the funds saved will support new drama and sport.
This Morning is not facing any cut despite the show’s troubled recent history with the Phillip Schofield scandal and Holly Willoughby leavingRex
RexThis Morning hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary are thought to be raking in more than £500,000 a year[/caption]
CHARITY WORK LOST
GOOD Morning Britain has axed its valuable charity campaigns as part of ITV’s cost-cutting drive.
Staff at ITN were yesterday given a more in-depth briefing by the channel’s Director of News and Current Affairs, Andrew Dagnall following Tuesday’s announcement of wide-ranging changes to the schedule.
While GMB’s air time has been extended by 30 minutes, huge job losses are to be made behind the scenes as part of a merger with ITV News under the ITN umbrella.
As well as the redundancies, staff were warned the breakfast show’s campaigns would be scrapped as they are too costly.
It comes despite the success of 1 Million Minutes, last year’s charity effort that asked viewers to pledge 30 minutes to help an elderly person.
The work with The Silver Line, Royal Voluntary Service, Age UK and Campaign To End Loneliness far surpassed that target, with a billion minutes logged instead.
It included initiatives like the installation of special “listening benches” across the country as well as sections focusing on volunteers of the year.
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