ITV is cutting jobs and budgets across its daytime programming, affecting shows such as Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, Loose Women, and This Morning. The cuts, which will halve the number of staff at ITV Studios from 440 to around 220, are part of a restructuring plan that also reduces airtime for some programmes.
Lorraine will be reduced from a one-hour to a 30-minute show, airing for only 30 weeks a year instead of 52. Loose Women will maintain its current length but will also be cut to 30 weeks annually. This Morning will remain unchanged, while Good Morning Britain will be extended by 30 minutes, running from 6am to 9.30am. During the 22 weeks Lorraine is off-air, GMB will run until 10am.
Kevin Lygo, ITV's managing director of media and entertainment, said the changes align with the seasonal working patterns of lead daytime presenters. Production of Good Morning Britain will move to ITV News, produced by ITN, from January, resulting in further job losses due to duplicated roles.
Laura Wilshaw, editor of ITV News, told staff in an email that GMB would operate on a reduced budget but aimed to maintain the show's quality. ITV Studios will continue producing Lorraine, Loose Women, and This Morning, but plans to merge the three separate production teams into one.
An ITV spokesperson said the cuts are not performance-related but part of a strategy to centralise news production and invest in high-profile shows like Mr Bates vs The Post Office and football World Cup coverage. Rachel Corp, CEO of ITN, confirmed a new five-year contract to produce ITV news.
