Loose Women: Daytime favourite hit by huge ITV shake-up as 'third of cast' face being given chop amid schedule slash
After ITV confirmed that it was set to slash its flagship daytime programming output, it has been reported that the cast of Loose Women could be cut.
The daily mid-morning panel show will now only air 30 weeks out of the year, with reports suggesting that up to a third of the show’s presenting team could be set for the chop as ITV continues its cost-cutting measures.
The 26 presenters who regularly feature on the show include stars such as Ruth Langsford, Denise Welch, Coleen Nolan, Nadia Sawalha and Charlene White among many others. According to reports, less-used panelists such as Penny Lancaster, Katie Piper and Dame Kelly Holmes are likely to face the axe.
A source told The Sun: “There’s no way all the Loose Women will be needed now there’ll be far fewer episodes to fill.”
In sweeping changes to ITV’s daytime scheduling, the broadcaster announced that the number of episodes of Loose Women would be cut, as well as fellow daytime show Lorraine. Lorraine will also see its run-time cut from one hour to 30 minutes with the show’s guest presenters, Christine Lampard and Ranvir Singh, removed from the lineup.
Good Morning Britain, which aires directly before Lorraine, will be extended by 30 minutes and will now share a base with ITV News in central London. On the weeks that Lorraine is not on air, GMB will air from 6am until 10am. The changes to the daytime schedule are set to be introduced in January 2026.
ITV has said that the changes will allow the broadcaster to “fund additional investment in dramas like Mr Bates vs The Post Office and in coverage of the biggest sporting events like next year’s football World Cup as well as the UK’s biggest reality and entertainment shows”.
Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of ITV’s Media and Entertainment Division, said: “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.
“These changes also allow us to consolidate our news operations and expand our national, international and regional news output and to build upon our proud history of trusted journalism at a time when our viewers need accurate, unbiased news coverage more than ever.”