ITV has announced significant budget cuts to its flagship daytime programmes, including Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, Loose Women, and This Morning, resulting in the loss of over 220 jobs. The cuts, which affect ITV Studios, will halve the workforce from 440 to 220 staff members.
Lorraine will be reduced from a one-hour to a 30-minute programme, 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 remains unchanged in duration and frequency, 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 continue until 10am.
Kevin Lygo, managing director of ITV’s media and entertainment division, explained that the reduction in airtime for Lorraine and Loose Women aligns with the seasonal working patterns of their lead presenters. From January, Good Morning Britain will be produced by a dedicated team within ITV News, which is operated by ITN. This move is expected to eliminate over a dozen duplicated back-office roles.
Laura Wilshaw, editor of ITV News, informed staff via email that GMB would operate on a reduced budget but aimed to maintain the programme's quality. ITV Studios will continue producing Lorraine, Loose Women, and This Morning, but is consulting on merging the three separate production teams into one.
An ITV spokesperson stated that the cuts are not related to show performance but are part of a strategy to centralise news-gathering and reinvest resources into high-profile content like Mr Bates vs The Post Office and the football World Cup. Lygo emphasised that daytime remains important, and the changes will allow ITV to deliver trusted programming while generating savings for reinvestment.
Rachel Corp, chief executive of ITN, confirmed a new five-year contract to continue producing ITV News, ensuring continuity for the news division.
