Andi Peters bid farewell to a beloved ITV colleague on Good Morning Britain during Monday's live episode. While hosting the competition segment on July 20, the 55-year-old presenter revealed that the show's director, Stuart Earl, was leaving after ten years.
Andi Peters' Emotional Farewell
Andi explained to hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls that he had to send a text to their departing colleague, as it was their "last day" working together. He then joked: "You two, unfortunately, have two more days!"
"Stuart, love you lots! [It's] been a great ten years. Good luck, Stuart. Thank the lord I'm not doing Tuesday and Wednesday live, so I don't have to work with you," Andi jokingly typed into his phone, before running away from the camera.
Confusion in the Studio
Back in the London studio, Susanna and Ed were left confused as to where Andi would be for the next two days, before the star was heard saying: "On tape!" Susanna jokingly concluded: "He's on tape. Probably for the best," before moving on to the next segment.
ITV's Ongoing Restructuring
Stuart's exit comes after widespread cuts took place across ITV last year, with approximately 220 employees reportedly facing redundancy. Lorraine was notably reduced to just 30 minutes over 30 weeks annually, with Loose Women similarly operating on a 30-week timetable. GMB has therefore been extended by 30 minutes when Lorraine isn't on air.
Kevin Lygo, the managing director of ITV's Media and Entertainment Division, previously stated that the broadcaster was undergoing a "transition." He said: "I recognise that our plans will have an impact on staff on-screen in our Daytime production teams. We will work with ITV studios and ITN as they manage these changes to produce the shows differently from next year, and support them through this transition."
Ed Balls' Outburst on Argentina
Elsewhere on today's GMB, Ed Balls hit out at Argentina following their World Cup defeat to Spain on Sunday night. Fights broke out on the pitch as Spain began celebrating their win, with Ed bluntly saying: "They're a total bunch of thugs! The Argentina football team were shocking!" Susanna added: "Absolutely appalling behaviour. Of course, England experienced some pretty dirty behaviour as well."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am.
