Fans of Good Morning Britain were delighted this week as a beloved presenter made a surprise return to the ITV show, months after being axed due to widespread cuts.
Faye Barker's Comeback
The popular ITV show airs every weekday morning, with regular presenters including Susanna Reid, Ed Balls, Richard Madeley, Martin Lewis, Ranvir Singh, and Kate Garraway. However, they were joined by a familiar face this week as Faye Barker made her comeback to the programme.
Barker was one of four presenters who left GMB at the end of last year as part of ITV's cost-cutting measures. Along with Sally Biddulph, Sangeeta Kandola, and Sharon Thomas, she had fronted the London news segments during the show.
At the time, Barker wrote on Instagram: "When you sign off from a job you have loved. Thank you to everyone who has tuned into my early morning @itvlondon bulletins over the past 17 years or so!! This isn't goodbye, though - my new role starts tomorrow, and I am looking forward to working closely with the @gmb team and continuing to report and present for @itvnews."
True to her word, Barker returned to GMB this week to deliver the remainder of the day's headlines. Sharing photos from the studio on Thursday (June 18), she wrote: "What a fun morning with team @gmb - and with some great news on the football too." She thanked her colleagues for making her feel "so welcome in the studio" and praised the "amazing people behind the scenes who make this show so legendary."
Barker appeared on Friday morning (June 19), resuming her role presenting London news alongside other headlines.
Viewer Reactions
Audiences were thrilled to see Barker back. One viewer posted on X: "#gmb Faye Barker should be presenting the show not doing 5 mins of headlines." Another commented on Instagram: "Love this, you were brilliant," while Ranvir Singh added: "And you're back again because we loved you so much!"
Further reactions included: "Nice to see Faye reading the news," and "Good to see Faye back." A fourth supporter said: "You make GMB more interesting. I think you should be a main presenter on Thursday and Friday!!"
ITV Cuts
The departures followed significant reductions at ITV, with approximately 220 staff reportedly facing redundancy. Additionally, Lorraine was cut to just 30 minutes across 30 weeks annually, and Loose Women now broadcasts on a 30-week schedule.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am.
