ITV viewers have finally been given some clarity after Lorraine and Loose Women were pulled from screens amid controversial budget cuts that shook the channel’s daytime schedule.
Both shows had disappeared from the air after ITV reduced the output of its long-running daytime programmes to just 30 weeks a year, leaving fans wondering when their favourites would return. Lorraine and Loose Women were last seen in March, with Good Morning Britain stretched by an extra 30 minutes to fill Lorraine’s slot, while ITV News and game show repeats took over the rest of the daytime schedule.
Now, Loose Women is set to return on Monday, April 27, with Christine Lampard hosting alongside panellists Coleen Nolan, Jane Moore and Nadia Sawalha. Lorraine Kelly’s self-titled show is then expected to return on May 4.
The confirmation comes after reports that Lorraine, 66, has been left feeling “flat and at a loss” following the cuts to her programme, which reportedly reduced the show to 30-minute episodes and led to several of her colleagues being axed.
According to insiders, while Lorraine has been making the most of time with her one-year-old granddaughter Billie, daughter Rosie and husband Steve Smith, the sudden slowdown has not been easy for someone so used to life in front of the camera.
A source said she had “suddenly found herself with a lot more time on her hands” because of the extra weeks off air, adding that “for a workhorse like Lorraine, it’s taken a significant adjustment”.
The insider also claimed that the presenter has found it especially hard being away from the team she worked with for years. They said: “She is struggling with life without the team she worked with for many years. They provided daily support and interaction; they were like a second family that Lorraine has lost in a brutal and sudden way.”
Lorraine has reportedly not hidden how much she misses the people around her, and recently paid tribute to former editor Victoria Kennedy after the show landed a BAFTA nomination, saying the news had “really cheered her up”.
The source added that Lorraine has been “trying to lift her spirits by keeping herself busy”, but remains ambitious and still wants to feel fulfilled in her career.
Fans have also noticed a subtle change on social media, with Lorraine reportedly removing any direct mention of her programme from her Instagram bio. It now reads: “Granny to Billie. Mum to Rosie. On TV in the morning. Dundee United supporter.”
Loose Women has also been hit hard by the ITV changes. The panel show has already lost its live studio audience after moving with the rest of ITV daytime from its former home at Television Centre to a much smaller base in Covent Garden.
Behind the scenes, the strain appears to be mounting. With Loose Women, This Morning and Lorraine all now operating from the same cramped basement area, insiders say the atmosphere has become increasingly tense.
One source said: “It’s incredibly chaotic behind the scenes. The space for all three shows – Loose Women, This Morning and Lorraine – is downstairs in the basement so three different sets are all crammed into one place.”
They added: “Backstage the dressing rooms are limited. There just isn’t enough space, especially when there are four women getting ready to be in front of the camera at the same time. It’s not an ideal situation at all. There have been some meltdowns.”
For viewers, the return dates will come as welcome news. But behind the relief, the turbulence surrounding ITV’s daytime shake-up is clearly far from over.
