ITV's Loose Women has been pulled from the schedule for the remainder of the week, host Ruth Langsford confirmed during Wednesday's episode. The daytime talk show will not air on Thursday, July 9, or Friday, July 10, due to live sports programming.
Ruth Langsford Announces Break
At the close of Wednesday's show, Langsford told viewers: "That is it from us for today and for this week, actually, as we're off for ITV's coverage of the races. We'll be back next Monday as usual at 12:30." She was joined on the panel by Kelly Brook, Janet Street-Porter, and Brenda Edwards.
On Thursday, ITV will broadcast horse racing live from Newmarket, hosted by Ed Chamberlin and Francesca Cumani. The racing coverage begins at 1:00pm, prompting This Morning to extend by 30 minutes, ending at 4:00pm.
Previous Hiatus for Royal Ascot
Last month, Loose Women took a similar break for the Royal Ascot festival, which ran from Tuesday, June 16, to Saturday, June 20. This latest scheduling change follows a pattern of interruptions for major sporting events.
Lorraine Also on Break
Scottish host Lorraine Kelly recently announced her own programme would be absent for several weeks. At the end of Friday's episode on July 3, she said: "That's all from us for now. I am away for a wee while. I'll really miss you, but I will see you very, very soon." The return date for Lorraine remains unconfirmed.
Broader ITV Daytime Changes
ITV implemented significant changes to its daytime lineup at the start of the year. Lorraine was reduced from 60 minutes to 30 minutes. Both Lorraine and Loose Women now air for 30 weeks annually, down from the previous 52-week schedule. Kevin Lygo, managing director of ITV's Media and Entertainment Division, commented: "I recognise that our plans will have an impact on staff on-screen in our Daytime production teams. We will work with ITV studios and ITN as they manage these changes to produce the shows differently from next year, and support them through this transition. Daytime has been a core element of ITV's schedule for over 40 years and these changes will set ITV up to continue to bring viewers award-winning news, views and discussion as we enter our eighth decade."
Loose Women is available to watch on ITVX.
