ITV's popular daytime panel show Loose Women will be absent from its regular slot next week, as the programme confirms a scheduled hiatus. Presenter Kaye Adams announced the break during Friday's episode, marking a temporary pause for the long-running series.
Announcement and Scheduling Changes
During the broadcast on March 6, Kaye Adams informed viewers that Loose Women would be off air for several weeks. She stated, "There is a reason to get tearful, it's your last Loose Women for a few weeks. We will be back next month. Until then, take care, have a fabulous weekend and Easter, and we'll see you very soon!" The show typically airs weekdays from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, but next week, its time slot will be occupied by coverage of the Cheltenham Festival, as reported by the Express.
Lorraine Also Affected
Loose Women is not the only programme experiencing a scheduling reshuffle. Lorraine will also be off air temporarily, as confirmed by Christine Lampard at the conclusion of Friday's show. She said, "That's all for today here, Lorraine will be back in a few weeks' time. Have a lovely weekend. See you soon." This follows Lorraine's recent absence from her programme for the past two episodes due to losing her voice.
Broader ITV Daytime Restructuring
These breaks come in the context of significant changes to ITV Daytime, which were unveiled last year and resulted in 200 job losses. Under the new structure, Lorraine will now broadcast for 30 weeks annually, a modification that similarly impacts Loose Women. With Lorraine off air, Good Morning Britain will be extended by an additional 30 minutes, concluding at 10am instead of its usual time.
Production and News Consolidation
Discussing the alterations, ITV's head honcho Kevin Lygo explained, "Daytime is a really important part of what we do, and these scheduling and production changes will enable us to continue to deliver a schedule providing viewers with the news, debate and discussion they love from the presenters they know and trust as well as generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres." He added that the changes allow ITV to consolidate news operations and expand national, international, and regional news output, building upon a history of trusted journalism.
Future Programming
The replacement for Loose Women, following a week of Cheltenham Festival coverage, has yet to be announced. Meanwhile, Loose Women remains available for streaming on ITVX. These adjustments reflect ongoing efforts by ITV to optimise its daytime schedule amidst evolving viewer demands and production efficiencies.
