3 days ago
Loose Women's Janet Street-Porter reveals the stars on the chopping block amid brutal ITV cuts - and the panelists who are safe
Journalist Janet Street-Porter has revealed which stars are at risk from brutal cost-saving cuts by ITV - and which panelists are safe.
The Loose Women personality is a favourite among viewers at home, best known for her candid honesty and dry wit.
Now, the 78-year-old has shed light on the reality behind the looming cuts proposed by the broadcaster, which are set to impact several daytime shows.
Janet appears certain that the 'older' Loose Women stars are not likely to be cut, given they appeal more directly to the show's target demographic.
But she warns that newcomers, younger stars or those with less experience could be at risk.
'There are no plans to get rid of the older women despite what some people have said,' Janet said.
'In fact, the reverse is true. ITV actually put out a statement saying we are the valued members of the show because the audience totally relates to us.'
The Brentford-born writer said the panel programme has gained the trust of female viewers as a place where important female-centred topics are discussed.
'I think Loose Women has become a programme that is trusted by a lot of women because we talk about the issues that they are concerned about - whether it's female health, domestic violence or how politicians don't really understand working women,' she said.
'I think the show has managed to connect women who wouldn't otherwise have a voice.
'And it's delivered with a lot of laughs because we don't take ourselves too seriously.'
Janet's comments follow the devastating news that Loose Women producers are expected to cut celebrity guests from the show - and growing fears the ITV staple could even be cancelled within a year.
The long-running series usually welcomes a host of celebrities onto the panel to promote upcoming projects and have had the likes of Naomi Campbell, Elizabeth Hurley, Joan Collins, and even former Prime Minster Rishi Sunak appear.
But according to insiders, once ITV's budget cuts come into effect in January, Loose Women will no longer have A-list guests in the studio, and the broadcast is planned to only consist of the panel debating newsworthy topics from the week.
TV sources have claimed that Loose Women is predicted to be completely cancelled within the year, as viewing figures are expected to drop once the show's quality is reduced.
MailOnline revealed that the show has axed their studio audience, an integral part to the programme, which caused upset among several members of the long-standing cast including Nadia Sawalha, Ruth Langsford and Coleen Nolan.
In May, ITV announced that Lorraine and Loose Women will only air for 30 weeks a year rather than 52, resulting in more than 220 of 440 staff involved losing their jobs.
A TV source revealed: 'Not having guests is a big blow for both the presenters and viewers at home.
'The guests are often one of the highest parts of the show, so it feels like a very strange decision to cut them altogether. Instead, the focus will be on guests for Lorraine and This Morning.
'Behind the scenes the presenters are really upset because they love having guests on and feel they offer a different type of interview to the other daytime shows.
'Firstly, there are four hosts conducting the conversation and secondly, they use their interviews to discuss female focused issues, something shows like This Morning don't do as often.
'It's a real shame that in January, the programme will become a shell of its former self before it is inevitably cancelled altogether.'
MailOnline understands that the reason for Loose Women axing celebrity guests is because there simply won't be enough manpower to host visitors and their decision has been to prioritise Lorraine and This Morning, so by default, the panel show will ultimately miss out.
An ITV spokesperson added: 'While the team is still working on the show for next year, we can assure you that Loose Women remains a big priority within our daytime slate.'
Loose Women airs weekdays on ITV1 from 12:30pm and is available to stream on ITVX .
