Loose Women has been taken off air for its summer hiatus, with presenters confirming the show will return in September. Kaye Adams announced the break at the end of Friday's programme, telling viewers: "We're done for the summer... we'll be back in September."
The pause forms part of wider scheduling changes at ITV, which have seen the daytime show reduced from its customary 52-week run to just 30 weeks per year. As part of the shake-up, live studio audiences have also been scrapped, and several behind-the-scenes roles have been cut.
Presenters have voiced their concerns over the changes. Nadia Sawalha expressed devastation at the loss of warm-up performer Lee Peat, describing him as a dear friend she works with every day. Coleen Nolan also described the redundancies as "heartbreaking" and "devastating" for the cast and crew.
Loose Women relocated earlier this year to a basement studio in Covent Garden, sharing the venue with This Morning and Lorraine. Lorraine Kelly's show has also been affected, reduced to a 30-minute format operating on a seasonal schedule.
ITV's Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, Kevin Lygo, said the scheduling and production changes would allow the broadcaster to deliver the news and debate viewers love while generating savings to reinvest in other genres. He added that the changes would enable ITV to expand its news output and build on its history of trusted journalism.
