ITV's popular daytime schedule has undergone a dramatic shake-up, with the Lorraine show now airing for just 30 minutes from Monday 5 January 2026. The drastic reduction has left loyal viewers baffled and angry, with many taking to social media to question the point of the truncated programme.
Viewer Backlash Over Shortened Show
The new schedule sees Good Morning Britain run from 6am to 9:30am, followed by Lorraine from 9:30am to 10am. This represents a halving of its previous runtime. The change was met with immediate derision on platform X, formerly Twitter.
One viewer jeered: "What IS the point of turning up for just half an hour?" Another calculated: "So Lorraine show was only around 20 minutes with adverts." Criticism was also levelled at the new studio setup, with some describing the look as "cheap" and remarking that presenters appeared "crammed in."
Behind the Cuts: A Major ITV Restructure
This scheduling shift is the first visible sign of sweeping cuts announced by ITV back in May. The broadcaster revealed that both Lorraine and Loose Women would be axed for half the year in 2026, with Lorraine's slot being taken by Good Morning Britain for 22 weeks.
The restructuring involves more than 220 job losses and a significant change in production. All daytime shows, except for Good Morning Britain, have moved to The H Club Studio in Covent Garden. GMB itself is now filmed at ITN headquarters in Central London and will be produced by ITN instead of ITV Studios, potentially merging staff with ITV News teams.
Strategic Shifts and Future Investments
ITV sources have stated the cuts are necessary to reinvest funds into other genres, specifically citing drama programmes like Mr Bates vs The Post Office and major sporting events. Kevin Lygo, ITV's Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, emphasised the need to generate savings to preserve the future of daytime programming while funding other areas.
An internal source clarified: "This has nothing to do with under performance... This Morning and GMB have escaped unscathed." The changes also mean Friday stand-in presenters Ranvir Singh and Christine Lampard are no longer needed for Lorraine, though ITV insists they remain part of the "daytime family."
Despite the viewer frustration, some fans expressed excitement for the shows' return after the holiday break. However, the dominant sentiment was one of disappointment, with comments like "Criminal they’ve reduced you to half an hour" summarising the reaction to ITV's new, pared-back daytime vision.
