Several stars of ITV's Loose Women were notably absent from the National Television Awards (NTAs) on Wednesday night, with insiders claiming the panellists are 'sick' of losing out to rival show This Morning. The lunchtime chat show, which has aired since 1999, failed to win in the Daytime category, losing again to This Morning.
The future of Loose Women has been called into question amid a series of budget cuts at ITV. From January, the number of episodes will be dramatically reduced, along with sister show Lorraine. Regular panellists including Coleen Nolan, Janet Street-Porter, and Jane Moore, as well as anchors Ruth Langsford, Charlene White, Kaye Adams, and Christine Lampard, face an uncertain future, with no one yet knowing who will keep their job.
According to a source, many of the show's stars decided not to attend the ceremony because they are 'humiliated' by repeatedly losing to This Morning, which has won the Daytime award for the past two years. The source told the Daily Mail: 'The truth is, the panellists are sick of always missing out to This Morning in the Daytime category, it has become humiliating for them over the years.'
The insider added that the timing of the awards also felt inappropriate, as the show's budget is being slashed and many production staff are set to lose their jobs. 'It just didn't feel right for many to attend a big, red-carpet event in the midst of all this sadness,' the source said.
Only a handful of Loose Women stars attended the event at the O2 Arena, including Charlene White, Olivia Attwood, Katie Piper, Linda Robson, and Frankie Bridge. This contrasts with the previous year, when at least 12 panellists attended. The only time Loose Women has won an NTA was in 2010, when it was named Most Popular Factual Programme.
Meanwhile, This Morning presenter Alison Hammond expressed her relief at winning the Daytime award, telling the show: 'We hadn't had it for two years running now... it was just such a relief.' ITV has been contacted for comment.
