ITV has announced sweeping changes to its daytime television lineup, including significant cutbacks to Loose Women and Lorraine, which will now air for just 30 weeks a year each, as part of a shift in resources to fund new drama programming.

Major Cuts to Popular Daytime Shows

In a move revealed during a staff briefing on Monday afternoon, ITV bosses confirmed that Lorraine will have its episode length reduced from 60 minutes to just 30 minutes, with Good Morning Britain (GMB) taking over its 9am to 10am slot for 22 weeks of the year.

During the other 30 weeks, Lorraine will continue to air five days a week.

Meanwhile, Loose Women will also be scaled back to just over half the year, with ITV citing a need to “cut resources” in daytime programming.

Focus Shifts to Drama and News Expansion

The decision is part of ITV’s strategy to reallocate funding toward drama content, which has proven increasingly popular with viewers and advertisers alike.

Kevin Lygo, ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, explained:

“These changes allow us to consolidate our news operations and expand our national, international and regional news output, building on our proud history of trusted journalism at a time when viewers need accurate, unbiased coverage more than ever.”

Additionally, ITN will take over production of Good Morning Britain from ITV Studios beginning next year — a significant internal restructure that aligns ITV’s news output under a single umbrella.

This Morning Unaffected

This Morning will remain unaffected by the shake-up, continuing its regular programming as planned.

Staff Impact and Support

Mr Lygo acknowledged the toll this restructuring could take on staff:

“I recognise that our plans will have an impact on staff off screen in our Daytime production teams. We will work with ITV Studios and ITN to support them through this transition.”

The announcement was delivered during a meeting led by ITV Daytime boss Emma Gormley.

Industry Reaction

While no official statement has been issued by ITV at the time of publication, fans of Lorraine and Loose Women have already voiced concerns online, with many expressing frustration at the cuts to long-running favourites.