ITV has announced it will no longer broadcast popular daytime shows Lorraine and Loose Women live in the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement released on Sunday (March 22) afternoon, the broadcaster confirmed it is pulling both programmes in a bid to cut down on the number of staff travelling in and out of the studios.
The statement read: “ITV Daytime has taken the decision to stop broadcasting Lorraine and Loose Women live from Monday 23rd March. This decision has been made to minimise the number of staff travelling in and out of our studios and working together on shift at any one time.
“We’re focusing our efforts on providing to viewers the latest news on the rapidly changing situation which aims to offer some stability and continuity in all our lives whilst so many of us are at home right now. That’s why we have taken this tough decision to protect our GMB News programme in the morning and keep This Morning on air for as long as possible.
We’re focusing our efforts on providing to viewers the latest news on the rapidly changing situation.
“From Monday we will be running an extended version of Good Morning Britain from 0600 until 10am. At 9am Lorraine Kelly will join Piers in the GMB studio for the last hour and then hand straight over to the This Morning studio with Phillip and Holly as usual running from 10am until 1230pm. We will then run some of our most favourite repeat episodes of Loose Women from 12.30pm to 1.30pm to give viewers something to smile about each day at lunchtime.
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“We have been reducing our crew numbers over the last week and these changes will enable us to reduce them further and help us build further resilience with the aim of Daytime content continuing to air for as long as possible.
“Safeguarding the well-being of everyone involved with our programmes is our priority and in this dynamically developing situation we will obviously continue to review these new arrangements on a day by day basis and follow at all times the latest PHE and WHO guidelines.”
It follows the cancellation of filming on ITV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
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