Channel 5 talk show Vanessa is coming to an end after just one year on air, with the final episode confirmed for Friday afternoon. The programme, which featured the former This Morning star Vanessa Feltz, failed to attract a large audience in the competitive afternoon slot.
Show Cancellation Confirmed
Channel 5 announced on Thursday (June 18) that they are pulling the plug on the self-titled talk show. A spokesperson told The Mirror: "Due to afternoon scheduling changes, 'Vanessa' will be rested from July 17th. We thank Vanessa and her team at ITN for 18 months of warm, witty, wise and searingly honest shows. Vanessa remains a valued member of the 5 family and we are discussing future projects together."
Low Ratings Compared to Competition
The programme is believed to have pulled in an average audience of 50,000 viewers per show, while ITV's Loose Women attracts between 800,000 and 1.2 million viewers per episode. The show was designed to go head-to-head with Loose Women in the heated afternoon TV slot.
Vanessa's Vision for the Show
Prior to the show's launch, Vanessa explained to the PA news agency: "It's not going to be politics, and it's not going to be news stories of the day. It's a kind of oasis of refuge in the middle of the day, away from the news and into the things that we really like, like love, and friendship, and dating, and family relationships, and parenting."
Viral Moments and Prank Calls
Recent months saw the show go viral on social media after pranksters called in pretending to be characters from the BBC soap EastEnders. Vanessa hung up on callers including one who pretended to be Laila Morse's character Big Mo.
Vanessa's Broadcasting Career
Vanessa Feltz's first talk show aired from 1994 to 1998 on ITV, before being replaced by Trisha Goddard. She later fronted segments on The Big Breakfast and The Wright Stuff before spending nearly two decades on This Morning.
