ITV cuts staff by 50% on Lorraine, Loose Women, and This Morning while extending Good Morning Britain’s airtime.
ITV is embarking on a major shake-up of its daytime programming, cutting budgets and halving staff numbers across key shows, including Lorraine, Loose Women, and This Morning, while expanding Good Morning Britain (GMB). The broadcaster confirmed plans that will see more than 220 out of 440 production jobs at ITV Studios lost, effective from January 2026.
The most significant impact will fall on Lorraine, which is set to shrink from a one-hour show to just 30 minutes, airing only 30 weeks per year instead of 52. Similarly, Loose Women will maintain its current running time but will also be reduced to 30 weeks annually. This Morning will continue as usual in terms of length and frequency.
Conversely, Good Morning Britain will be extended by 30 minutes, airing from 6am to 9:30am on most days. During the 22 weeks when Lorraine is off-air, GMB will fill the schedule with an extra half-hour slot until 10am. The extension aims to provide viewers with more morning news and debate content, reflecting ITV’s commitment to news-focused programming.
Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment, explained the rationale behind the cuts: the reduced number of weeks for Lorraine and Loose Women aligns with the seasonal working patterns of their lead presenters. He also emphasised that daytime remains a vital part of ITV’s offering despite the changes.
A key element of the restructuring is the transfer of Good Morning Britain’s production from ITV Studios to ITV News, which is produced by ITN—the same company responsible for the news on Channel 4 and Channel 5. This change will result in more than a dozen job losses, primarily due to duplicated back-office roles between GMB and ITV News.
Laura Wilshaw, editor of ITV News, sent an internal email confirming that GMB will operate with a reduced overall budget but stressed the commitment to maintaining the core qualities that viewers expect from the programme.
ITV Studios will continue to produce Lorraine, Loose Women, and This Morning but is consulting on plans to merge the production teams for these shows into one to reduce costs further.
ITV spokespersons stressed that the cuts are not a reflection of the shows’ performance but are part of a strategic move to centralise news production and free up investment for high-profile programming. These include new projects like Mr Bates vs The Post Office and major events such as the upcoming football World Cup.
Kevin Lygo said, “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 as generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres.”
The announcement follows ITN’s confirmation of a renewed five-year contract to produce ITV’s news content, with chief executive Rachel Corp emphasising the continued partnership between ITN and ITV for delivering trusted news programming.
The move has raised concerns about the future of UK daytime TV, which has faced declining viewing figures and growing competition from streaming platforms. Industry insiders note that ITV’s approach seeks to balance budget constraints with a desire to retain audience loyalty by concentrating resources on flagship news and event shows.
This restructuring signals a new chapter for ITV’s daytime schedule, with significant job cuts and schedule changes set to reshape the landscape as the broadcaster adapts to evolving viewer habits and financial pressures.
