ITV Daytime faces a major schedule shake-up next month with both Lorraine and Loose Women cancelled for an entire week for Cheltenham Festival racing coverage

Loose Women will be taken off air for an entire week next month (Image: ITV screengrab)

ITV Daytime is set for a significant schedule reshuffle next month, with both Lorraine and Loose Women being taken off air for an entire week.

The shows will be temporarily removed to accommodate the network’s coverage of the Cheltenham Festival racing event.

The changes will commence on Monday, 9 March and continue throughout the week until Friday, 13 March.

As a result, Lorraine Kelly’s half-hour programme will be replaced by an extended edition of Good Morning Britain, which will broadcast from 6am until 10am.

This Morning, presented by Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, will retain its usual slot from 10am until 12.30pm, at which point ITV’s Racing coverage will begin.

Lorraine has also been cancelled from March 9 until March 13 (Image: ITV)

ITV’s revamped Daytime schedule officially launched last month following budget cuts that resulted in the loss of over 200 behind-the-scenes jobs.

It was revealed in May of last year that Good Morning Britain would be lengthened by half an hour, meaning the show now airs weekdays from 6am until 9.30am.

However, this adjustment has led to Lorraine Kelly’s eponymous show being cut by 30 minutes, now starting at 9.30am and finishing at 10am.

Good Morning Britain will air from 6am until 10am for the week (Image: ITV)

Whilst This Morning will remain in its regular slot, Loose Women’s running time will stay the same but the panel show will now only air for 30 weeks of the year.

Discussing the alterations, chief Kevin Lygo stated: “Daytime is a really important part of what we do, and these scheduling and production changes will enable us to continue to deliver a schedule providing viewers with the news, debate and discussion they love from the presenters they know and trust as well as generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres.

This Morning will air in its usual timeslot (Image: ITV)

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

Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women have been based at the London Television Centre since 2018, following the demolition of their South Bank premises.

However, since January, GMB has been airing from the ITN Studios in Central London, whilst the other ITV daytime programmes are filmed at The H Club in Covent Garden.

Review, gossip and upcoming show releases plus selected offers and competition Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy