Long-serving ITV presenter Coleen Nolan has openly discussed her financial worries following sweeping budget cuts to the popular daytime show Loose Women. The 60-year-old star described the "sad" changes to the programme, which include the removal of its studio audience and a significantly reduced broadcast schedule.
The End of an Era: No Audience and a Seasonal Schedule
Speaking candidly on The Not My Bagg podcast, Nolan laid bare the impact of ITV's cost-saving measures. The show will now only air during term time, going off-air for all school holidays. While acknowledging the appeal of more time off, Nolan was frank about the practical implications, stating, "On one hand, you go 'quite nice time off', but then on the other hand, you go 'I've still got bills to pay'."
The changes, which took effect from Monday 5 January 2026, also mean the programme will be filmed without a live audience for the first time in years. Nolan expressed her disappointment, noting the unique energy an audience brings. "I love having the audience there. You get all the feedback and the adrenaline from the audience. So that's going to be really weird for us," she said.
A New Format and Studio Location
Nolan suggested the show's new format would feel markedly different. "It will still be live but there will be no audience and I don't think they are having guests," she explained. "I just feel like it will be like a podcast but on live television." The production has also moved from its former home at the Television Centre in White City to The H Club Studio in Covent Garden, London.
These adjustments are part of broader ITV daytime schedule reshuffles. While Loose Women will keep its usual 12:30pm to 1:30pm slot, it will now follow a 30-week 'seasonal' schedule. Fellow programme Lorraine has been cut to a 30-week run and shortened to just half an hour, while Good Morning Britain has been extended by 30 minutes.
Understanding the Business Reality
Despite her personal concerns, Nolan showed understanding of the commercial pressures facing ITV. She highlighted the sadness of behind-the-scenes job losses but acknowledged the harsh realities of modern broadcasting. "I understand that it's a business, and sometimes in business hard decisions have to be made and nowadays it is all about budgets," she stated.
Reflecting on the vast change in the television landscape since she began her career, Nolan added, "TV is so different now... It’s a different era now to what it was 25 years ago." She contrasted today's multitude of channels with her childhood, recalling, "When I was a kid, there was three channels."
Ultimately, the presenter struck a note of gratitude that the show survives at all. "But, it could have been worse," she concluded. "They could have said 'By the way, we’re not recommissioning it. See you later'. It's still here, it's still going."
