ITV daytime show This Morning could be in for another rocky year, with viewing figures reportedly taking a plunge recently.
The hit show was given something of a reboot earlier this year after a tumultuous 2023, but it doesn’t seem as though it’s had the desired effect.
Although ITV has hit back, telling ED! that the show “has never had a better connection with its viewers”.
This Morning in chaos as ITV hits back?
Last year was a very rocky one for This Morning. In May, Phillip Schofield quit the programme after 20 years – and rocked the show further a week later by admitting to having had an affair with a younger member of staff.
Less than six months later, in October, Holly Willoughby quit the show, leaving the programme without any permanent presenters.
In March of this year, Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley took the helm, bringing some much-needed stability to the show. However, according to The Sun, this refresh hasn’t had the desired effect that ITV hoped, handing a blow to the network and its new presenters.
Viewing figures ‘plummet’
According to the outlet, in Ben and Cat’s first month on the programme, viewing figures fell from over a million to 692,500. Now, two months later, viewing figures have reportedly fallen even further to 635,000.
ITV has argued that This Morning was viewed on average 840,000 times a day in April – however this includes viewings on ITVX and ITV+1.
According to The Sun, by April 30, the average number watching was 544,000.
Speaking to Broadcast last month, BBC daytime boss Rob Unsworth dealt a hard-hitting blow to daytime telly. “Shows that feel like traditional daytime no longer have a place in our schedule,” he said.
ITV hits back
In a statement to ED, an ITV spokesperson said: “As a broadcaster and streamer, ITV has a range of programming in its daytime schedules. This Morning reached an average 4.2 million viewers a week in April alone, its highest so far in 2024. In 2023, This Morning was one of the most-streamed shows on ITVX.
“Like all media, This Morning has expanded into the digital sphere with record-breaking results,” they then continued.
“This Morning remains Britain’s most talked-about and influential daytime TV show and has never had a better connection with its viewers, with just under 160 million video views of This Morning content and it reached 63 million unique social media accounts in April.”
Read more: Princess Beatrice tipped to land This Morning gig after wowing viewers with show debut
This Morning airs on weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX.
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