Channel 5 has cancelled Vanessa Feltz's daytime phone-in show, with the presenter reportedly left 'blindsided' by the decision. The programme, which launched in March 2025, has been plagued by prank callers impersonating EastEnders characters and other celebrities.
In a statement on Thursday, Channel 5 said Vanessa will be 'rested' from 17 July due to 'afternoon scheduling changes'. The network thanked Feltz and her team for '18 months of warm, witty, wise and searingly honest shows', adding that she remains 'a valued member of the 5 family' and that future projects are being discussed.
A source told the Daily Mail that bosses broke the news to Feltz in a meeting after her show came off-air this week. 'She had no idea what the meeting was about and certainly didn't expect to be told it was not being renewed,' the insider said. 'She feels so blindsided but also let down by bosses.'
The 70-minute episodes, which saw Feltz discuss news topics with a panel and take live calls, averaged 50,000 viewers. The show had been hit by multiple hoax calls, including one in April where a caller pretending to be EastEnders character Sandra Goodwin managed to get on air. Feltz ended the call after the caller made confusing remarks about the monarchy and a character named 'Mini Mo'. Another prank involved a caller impersonating late Celebrity Big Brother star Kim Woodburn.
The source said the prank calls and struggling ratings contributed to the decision. 'Producers tried their best to crack down on the calls by limiting just landline users to phone in, but that was decided to be too restrictive given today's technology and accessibility,' they added.
