ITV Budget Cuts Lead to Cramped Conditions for Daytime TV Stars
Significant budget reductions at ITV have resulted in a dramatic shift behind the scenes for its popular daytime television shows. Stars of programs like This Morning, Loose Women, and Lorraine are now forced to share dressing rooms and toilets in new, smaller studios, with only one host reportedly retaining private facilities.
Lorraine Kelly Stands Alone with Private Dressing Room
According to insider sources, Lorraine Kelly is the sole daytime presenter who continues to enjoy her own dressing room and toilet. However, even she must share this space with guests appearing on her show. The relocation from the spacious White City studios in West London to the new MultiStory facilities has introduced numerous logistical challenges, including cramped conditions that have sparked tension among cast and crew.
A source revealed to The Sun, "There have been quite a lot of issues since the team’s relocation to the new, smaller studios. As well as the cramped space, presenters have had to give up their personal dressing rooms and loos. Lorraine is the only one who has her own private throne."
Stars Forced to Adapt to Austere New Environment
The budget cuts have not only reduced the number of available dressing rooms but also led to a trimming down of the "glam squads" that assist with hair and makeup. Presenters have reportedly been compelled to change in unconventional spaces, such as meeting rooms, due to the lack of private facilities.
For instance, Christine Lampard was said to have gotten changed in a meeting room, a situation that caused some raised eyebrows among the crew, though she was reportedly relaxed about it. Additionally, talent now often take their social media photos in "drab stairwells" instead of the branded backdrops previously used, further highlighting the austere new working conditions.
Broader Impact on ITV Daytime Programming
These studio changes are part of a wider series of budget cuts that have taken effect since the start of the year. Notably, Loose Women will now air for only 30 weeks annually instead of its previous 52-week schedule, leading to initial fears of panelist shake-ups. However, ITV has reassured that no radical changes to the panel are planned, emphasizing the value of its long-standing presenters.
An ITV spokesperson defended the move, stating, "ITV daytime have been at the new state of the art MultiStory studios for over a month now and have adapted to the new surroundings successfully with the new space and look seeing an increase in audience share year on year and its digital output achieving almost 50million views every month."
Despite the challenges, sources indicate that Lorraine Kelly has been "more than happy to share her toilet," and there is a sense of camaraderie with "everyone mucking in together." The building itself has been compared to Fawlty Towers due to ongoing issues like a frequently breaking lift.
Strategic Rationale Behind the Cuts
Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of ITV’s Media and Entertainment Division, explained the rationale for these changes earlier last year. He stated, "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 generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres."
Lygo added that the adjustments also support the consolidation of news operations and expansion of national, international, and regional news output, aiming to bolster ITV's reputation for trusted journalism during a time of high demand for accurate news coverage.
As ITV navigates these budget constraints, the daytime TV stars continue to adapt to their new, more communal working environment, balancing professional demands with the practical realities of shared facilities.
