ITV’s Lorraine has been cut to 30 minutes, sparking fears of potential job losses. TV expert Lynn Carratt says this decision reflects ITV’s shift to news-led, cost-saving priorities
Lorraine Kelly, one of ITV’s longest serving presenters, is facing a major shake-up to her weekday morning slot – and it could mark a turning point for both her career and the future of daytime television.
ITV has confirmed that Lorraine will be reduced from a full hour to a 30-minute segment, running only 30 weeks a year. The change, part of a broader daytime restructuring, is already sparking concern within the industry amid potential job losses.
According to TV expert Lynn Carratt, the move says less about Lorraine’s popularity and more about shifting viewer habits and ITV’s evolving priorities. “I don’t think the Lorraine show is a flop,” Lynn tells The Mirror. “It’s been on air for 15 years and shows often become stale and need a revamp. Viewers change too – many people who watched Lorraine 15 years ago don’t watch it now as their lives have changed.”
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The broadcast veteran has helmed her own show since 2010, and her TV presence on ITV dates back to 1988. Yet in recent years, Lorraine has presented less than 60 per cent of her shows, prompting some fans and critics to dub her a “part-timer”.
That label may no longer apply, however, as ITV has confirmed she will now present five days a week, although for a much shorter runtime.
This decision also spells the end of regular appearances from stand-in presenters like Ranvir Singh and Christine Lampard.
“Limiting Lorraine’s run to 30 weeks a year at a shorter 30-minute length is a result of ITV daytime shifting its focus to the news agenda,” Lynn explains.
“That’s pretty evident with ITV’s news division, ITN, taking over the production of Good Morning Britain as their main morning news show. Consequently, lifestyle shows like Lorraine and Loose Women are getting fewer episodes. So, I can see the logic behind it.”
But behind the scenes, around 220 staff redundancies are expected across ITV’s daytime teams. While on-screen talent may not be facing job losses, their roles will be scaled back, with likely implications for contracts and pay.
“We don’t know how this will affect Lorraine’s reported half-a-million-pound salary,” says Lynn. “And it raises questions about Ranvir and Christine, too. They won’t be needed in the same way anymore, so will there be increased competition for other presenting roles?”
Lynn also notes that, at 65, Lorraine may welcome the lighter workload. “She clearly enjoys her job, and taking on the show five days a week shows her commitment. But you do wonder how much longer she wants to continue, or if retirement is something she’s considering – although I can’t really picture her retiring.”
ITV has made no secret of its plans to reinvest in “big ticket” drama programming, as advertising revenue for daytime content continues to dip.
News-led formats like GMB and ITV News are attracting more reliable engagement, Lynn says, adding that the broadcaster is focusing on that kind of content.
She continued: “Trying to revive Lorraine in its current format probably wouldn’t make sense. It could be tweaked, but ultimately, it’s a show with a lifestyle and ‘fluff’ element – and that’s harder to justify in the current landscape.”
Kevin Lygo, ITV’s head of TV, said: “These changes allow us to reinvest across our programming and continue delivering the shows viewers love.
“I recognise that our plans will have an impact on staff off-screen in our Daytime production teams, and we will work with ITV Studios and ITN as they manage these changes to produce the shows differently from next year and support them through this transition.
“Daytime has been a core element of ITV’s schedule for over 40 years and these changes will set ITV up to continue to bring viewers award-winning news, views and discussion as we enter our eighth decade.”
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