ITV Daytime AXE Lorraine and Loose Women amid coronavirus pandemic… with Lorraine Kelly joining EXTENDED version of GMB and This Morning continuing ‘as usual’
Lorraine and Loose Women have been AXED amid the coronavirus pandemic.
ITV daytime confirmed in a statement on Sunday that neither show would continue as of Monday 23rd March, with Lorraine Kelly joining an EXTENDED version of GMB, and This Morning continuing ‘as usual’.
Bosses confirmed that they have been reducing crew numbers over the last week with the next steps allowing them to strip team backs further, with ‘the aim of Daytime content continuing to air for as long as possible’.
AXED: Lorraine and Loose Women have been AXED amid the coronavirus pandemic
The statement read: ‘ITV Daytime has taken the decision to stop broadcasting Lorraine and Loose Women live from Monday 23rd March.
‘This decision has been made to minimise the number of staff travelling in and out of our studios and working together on shift at any one time.
‘We’re focusing our efforts on providing to viewers the latest news on the rapidly changing situation which aims to offer some stability and continuity in all our lives whilst so many of us are at home right now.
‘That’s why we have taken this tough decision to protect our GMB News programme in the morning and keep This Morning on air for as long as possible.
Gone! ITV daytime confirmed in a statement on Sunday that neither show would continue as of Monday 23rd March
‘From Monday we will be running an extended version of Good Morning Britain from 0600 until 10am.
‘At 9am Lorraine Kelly will join Piers in the GMB studio for the last hour and then hand straight over to the This Morning studio with Phillip and Holly as usual running from 10am until 1230pm.
‘We will then run some of our most favourite repeat episodes of Loose Women from 12.30pm to 1.30pm to give viewers something to smile about each day at lunchtime.
Keeping her on screen: Lorraine Kelly is set to join an EXTENDED version of GMB
No change here! This Morning will continue ‘as usual’ with with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield as co-hosts
‘We have been reducing our crew numbers over the last week and these changes will enable us to reduce them further and help us build further resilience with the aim of Daytime content continuing to air for as long as possible.
‘Safeguarding the well-being of everyone involved with our programmes is our priority and in this dynamically developing situation we will obviously continue to review these new arrangements on a day by day basis and follow at all times the latest PHE and WHO guidelines.’