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Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Brits are rushing to buy homes for £3k without even seeing them in this unlikely country - now YOU could join the boom
Bulgaria: home of rose oil, numerous resorts on the Black Sea, some of the world's finest Byzantine preserved architecture - and somewhere in the region of 5,000 Britons. The Balkan state, nestled at the edge of the former Eastern Bloc, is welcoming an influx of British expats attracted by its low cost of living, cheap property prices and the promise of Slavic sun. Results from the 2021 Bulgarian census show there were 4,484 British citizens living in the country, up from 2,605 in 2011. Many are fleeing sky-high mortgages and spiralling interest rates in the UK - and snapping up dirt-cheap ramshackle properties to turn into their dream homes. So enthusiastic are some buyers that they're buying plots and homes on eBay, often unseen, and knuckling down to restore them for far less than it would cost to renovate a similar property in Britain. And they're moving out there despite it being the European Union's poorest state - with the lowest GDP per head of around £11,857, less than a third of the UK's - which is also in the throes of political turmoil. Three rounds of attempting to form a coalition government last autumn eventually saw the right-leaning GERB and ITN parties form an uneasy alliance with the BSP - United Left. The election was marred by allegations of voter intimidation and fraud. The spectre of Delyan Peevski, a heavily sanctioned oligarch accused of operating like a mafioso, still looms large despite his failure to win a spot in government. Have YOU bought a property in Bulgaria? Email Donna Hardy, from Scunthorpe, moved to Bulgaria last year and bought a huge house with land for just under £22,000 Jordan Vye pictured with daughter Fae outside their Bulgarian farmhouse Britons have been moving to Bulgaria in increasing numbers in recent years to snap up bargain properties - like this £8,000 three-bed home primed for renovation Welsh couple Maxwell and Leah Jones, who have snapped up the house pictured above, with their two kids Lorenzo and Indy The inside of the house in Bulgaria - which the couple purchased without even viewing Peevski has been sanctioned in the UK and US over allegations of bribing government officials and embezzling state funds, while also leaning on the courts and the security services to protect himself from public scrutiny. But despite being known as a 'mafia state' by many due to claims of political corruption, the allure of cheap homes, a low cost of living and sun by the Black Sea has been too much for expats to resist. Gemma Stevenson moved to the country in 2007 and set up Bulgarian Property Experts to help other Britons find their perfect home. UK vs Bulgaria: How do costs compare? UK expats Maxwell and Leah Jones are leaving life in Prestatyn, Wales behind to relocate to Bulgaria. Here, they detail their approximate costs now, and after they move: UK Rent: £680 a month Electric and gas bill: £250 a month Food shop: £130 to £200 a week Council tax: £140 a month WiFi: £45 Water: £40 to £50 a month Bulgaria (estimated) Electric bill: £15 to £20 a month Food shop: £40 to £80 a week Council tax: £25 a year WiFi: £60 to £100 a year Water: £5 a month Advertisement !- - ad: - -> Corresponding with MailOnline by email, she said people were drawn to the country by its low cost of living across property, food, bills and transport - as well as its breathtaking landscapes and enviable weather. 'Whether you're renting or buying, the prices are significantly lower than in most Western European countries,' she said. There are other draws: a low crime rate in rural communities outside of major cities - where the Foreign Office warns that pickpockets can run rife - and, inevitably, some things that Britons can only dream of. 'It has more than 300 days of sunshine a year, particularly in the south,' she notes - far more than back home. And there's also its position on the continent, at the furthest reaches of the European Union, bordering on Greece and Turkey, which are both accessible by road or dirt-cheap trains. An overnight couchette on the Sofia-Istanbul Express can run to as little as 30 Euros. But Ms Stevenson says there is also a culture of Bulgarians being a welcoming people - one that can take Britons by surprise at first, before drawing them in. She moved with her daughter Sky - who is now studying at a university in the northern city of Veliko Tarnovo - and has become engaged to electrician Georgi, with whom she has had another daughter, Katrina. In her experience, the country could not have been more accommodating as she developed her business and built relationships with local councils and lawyers. 'The local village people take young families under their wing and even if they can not speak with you in the same language, they will go out of their way to make you feel at home,' she recalled. 'They bring you homemade chutneys, preserves or wine and rakia (fruit brandy) for you to try. [In the] summer months, you will have neighbours dropping by with bags of fruit and vegetables to fill your fridges, all homegrown in the garden. 'You could not ask for a more welcoming nation.' Britons are increasingly moving to Bulgaria seeking cheaper homes, with coastal towns on the Black Sea such as Nessebar seen as attractive While Scunthorpe native Donna admits her house is 'very run down', she has been sharing constant updates on its condition and giving people an insight into Bulgarian life Bulgarian Property Experts' listings serve as a microcosm of why Britons move: a three-bed home in Popovo, a village in the north-east of Bulgaria, costs as little as 15,000 Euros (£12,000) and is primed for renovation. A fully renovated three-bed, three-bath house, which also boasts two kitchens and a 32 square metre swimming pool is just 143,000 Euros (£120,000) - barely enough for a suburban terraced house in the average British town. Among them are Maxwell and Leah Jones, aged 38 and 29, who bought a house outright for £8,000 without even viewing it after growing tired of trying to get a foot on the property ladder in Britain. The couple bought their three-bed home in Popovo, in the north-east, for less than 3 per cent of the £300,000 cost of a similar sized home in their home town of Prestatyn, Wales. They flew out in May to see it and plan to move there full time by the end of the year after investing an estimated £15-20,000 in bringing it up to scratch. With monthly living costs thought to be around £300, or £680 for a 'comfortable' living standard, they plan to raise and homeschool children Lorenzo and Indy there as they integrate themselves fully into Bulgarian life. Handily, Maxwell is a joiner. 'It was exactly like it looked online,' he said earlier this month. 'We were due to buy a house in the UK but it became hard to put all this money out and still be paying it off for 25 years. 'We looked at the price in Bulgaria and it became a no brainer.' 'Now we're mortgage-free. There is a lot to do - it's a shell but we are up for a challenge.' He will fly out in two months to re-wire the house before the rest of the family joins him before the year is out. They will then live off the land, keeping animals and growing fruit and vegetables. Last year, Scunthorpe native Donna Hardy moved out to Veliko Tarnovo - the university city where estate agent Gemma's daughter is studying - and bought a huge house for some 26,000 Euros (£21,900). The estate included a barn, several outbuildings and an acre of land - all for less than it would cost to buy a family hatchback in Britain. Bulgaria is in a state of political instability following a number of elections and accusations of vote rigging and corruption, many centred around sanctioned oligarch and MP Delyan Peevski Lewis and Jordan ditched Britain for Bulgaria in 2022, buying a dilapidated farmhouse for £7,000 where they will raise children Fae and Leo The pair had been inspired by Ben Fogle's New Lives in the Wild - and found themselves appearing on the show earlier this year Taking to TikTok to share her experience of moving overseas, she admitted the house was 'very run down' but was ready to get her hands dirty - and has, in the months since, documented the journey on social media. Posting an update to her near-50,000 followers last week, she revealed her almost unbelievably low cost of living. 'This is my property. For my electric, this month, I paid 66 lev... which works up around about £31 for the month,' she said. 'For my water, this month, I paid 22 lev, which works out around nine, ten pounds, give or take.' Ms Hardy's home does not have a connection to Bulgaria's domestic gas network, which remains in its infancy in rural areas. But she does buy gas bottles - refilling two gargantuan, waist-height gas bottles that can hold around 19kg of fuel each. 'To fill the gas bottle, up here in Bulgaria, costs you just short of 100 Lev, which works out at around £42 in English money,' she said. 'We've had that bottle since we've come out here, and we haven't used all of them, so we haven't had to fill up yet.' Refilling a smaller 13kg bottle in Britain costs around £50, depending on supplier. The stories come thick and fast: of Jordan and Lewis Vye, who packed up their life in Bournemouth and bought a dilapidated farmhouse in what they called their own 'pound shop version of Escape to the Chateau'. They purchased it unseen for just £7,000 in June 2022 after speaking to a friend who had bought another property for £3,000. Realising they were unlikely to ever be able to afford a mortgage, they hit the road with their caravan. Sharing their journey on YouTube under the name From Bournemouth to Bulgaria, the Vyes are still restoring their home - but recently hosted TV's Ben Fogle. His series New Lives in the Wild had inspired them as he visited people who had dived into a whole new lifestyle - and their journey came full circle as they appeared on the show in January. Scottish delivery driver Rob Davies bought a house in Golyamo Krushevo - and liked it so much he bought two more He snapped up this six-bed house for £3,000, before buying two more - each requiring substantial renovation He purchased the houses on eBay, unseen - as an investment in his family's long-term future On the Channel 5 show, they admitted they had been in a cycle of drinking and partying to escape their unhappiness and stress while struggling to save. But they say they have found peace raising their children among nature in Bulgaria. Jordan said: 'We've always kind of struggled to make ends meet. That really pushed us to come here because you're 30 years old and you own two acres of land and a house, three buildings, outright, no mortgage.' Lewis added: 'I was doing things I shouldn't have been doing far too regularly, and I think it feels like I'm in a better place when I'm here. When I'm here, that cycle is broken. 'And I'm just a guy who's renovating his house, who's farming his land, who's being a great dad, who's being a great husband, and I'm closer to the person that I want to be here.' And in 2023, Scottish delivery driver Rob Davies made headlines when he bought three homes in Golyamo Krushevo, Bulgaria on eBay for around £3,000 each - without ever seeing them in person. As documented in Channel 4 programme Help! We Bought a Village, Mr Davies had a huge task on his hands: fitting bathrooms, kitchens, windows, and even carrying out wiring and plumbing. 'I sent them a message saying I was interested, I want it, I think we paid a £200 deposit, got the keys and the rest is history,' he said at the time. 'It was basically four walls with a roof, but, it was ours. It felt amazing to actually go, we want a property, we can't do that in the UK.' There has been no word from him since - presumably, he's still fixing them up now. Living in Bulgaria, then, comes with a great deal of advantages, from the low cost of living to the wide availability of cheap, ready-to-renovate properties. It's not easy work and, even with lower labour and supply costs than in Britain, will doubtless require huge investment. That being said, those who move out there find themselves more than happy to put in the work. Estate agent Gemma adds: 'It's a country where you can enjoy the best of both worlds: a slower, more relaxed pace of life, reminding us of what the UK was 60 years ago, with the excitement of exploring new opportunities.'
Scottish Sun
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Lorraine Kelly ‘refused insulting offer from ITV bosses' and is ‘set to quit show next year'
Changes have been made to the show recently, and one offer left Lorraine 'insulted' SHOWDOWN Lorraine Kelly 'refused insulting offer from ITV bosses' and is 'set to quit show next year' LORRAINE Kelly 'refused an insulting offer from ITV bosses' and is 'set to quit her show next year.' It was recently revealed that Lorraine has been axed for 22 weeks of the year. 4 Lorraine Kelly 'refused an insulting offer from ITV bosses' and is 'set to quit her show next year' Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 4 Lorraine declined the opportunity to merge her daytime show with Good Morning Britain Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Production teams and talent were told Lorraine episodes will also be cut by 30 minutes a day, so from January 2026, Lorraine will air daily from 9.30am until 10am, which is a change from its current 9am to 10am slot. In a further switch up, it will now broadcast for only 30 weeks of the year. This change means stand-in presenters who are currently used in Lorraine's absence will no longer be needed for the remaining 22 weeks. Now, it has been reported that Lorraine declined the opportunity to merge her daytime show with Good Morning Britain, which would see her presenting the last 30 minutes of their broadcast. According to MailOnline, Lorraine was taken into a meeting and offered the proposal but that the offer left the star 'insulted,' according to sources. They continue to report that the presenter was 'prepared to walk away,' but will now carry on presenting her show until the end of 2026. And a new role titled 'Head of Lorraine' has been created to oversee the changes, but the contract only lasts for a 12-month period. A show insider revealed to the publication: 'Lorraine was pulled into a meeting with bosses where she was told about Good Morning Britain being taken over by ITN ahead of the public announcement. 'It was proposed that her show would merge with GMB so that she presented the last 30 minutes of the broadcast, which is what happened when a reduced team were working during lockdown. 'But she told them no and said it wasn't even a possibility... fast-forwarded two weeks and the channel announced her show would be cut from an hour to 30 minutes... 'The entire thing has been an insult and she's certain to leave when the year-long contract ends.' The Sun has contacted Lorraine's representatives for comment. Good Morning Britain will now fill the first 30-minute slot Lorraine currently holds. It will run from 6am until 9.30am, extending its current slot of 6am until 9am, and will be produced by a dedicated team within ITV News at ITN. During the weeks when Lorraine is off air, GMB's broadcast will also be extended until 10am. Lorraine's show isn't the only programme to be affected by the new and brutal shake-up by the broadcaster. Fellow ITV Daytime shows This Morning and Loose Women are also in line for big changes. All three shows will be made by ITV Studios and broadcast from a new location in central London. Loose Women will also broadcast fewer episodes, with ITV saying it will air "on a seasonal basis for 30 weeks of the year". The lunchtime panel show and This Morning will, however, be unaffected by the scheduling changes and remain in their regular slots. This Morning will continue to air from 10.30am to 12.30pm and Loose Women from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. 4 A new role titled 'Head of Lorraine' has been created to oversee the changes, but the contract only lasts for a 12-month period Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Daily Mirror
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Lorraine Kelly refused 'insulting' offer to merge her show with GMB amid cuts
Lorraine Kelly has, since 2010, presented her self-titled show on ITV, part of the network's morning schedule - but the programme will be cut by 30 minutes from January Lorraine Kelly reportedly declined an offer by ITV to make merge her daytime show with Good Morning Britain (GMB). The proposal would have given the TV veteran the opportunity to present the final 30 minutes of GMB, it is understood. As the same format was adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, bosses reportedly saw the merge as an "easy fix". But sources have revealed Lorraine, 65, was "insulted" by the suggestion and told bigwigs it wasn't a possibility, resulting in the reduced runtime of her show from an hour to 30 minutes. It is one of several changes ITV is making to its daytime schedule, including slashing Loose Women from 52 weeks of the year to just 30 - a cut Lorraine also faces. Lorraine was pulled into a meeting last week with bosses, and it seems that while there are concerns, she remains focused on her show. A source told the Mirror: "We were very open about the challenges in the industry and so several options were discussed - the key was ensuring Lorraine was retained and was as comfortable as possible in a changing landscape. Her show is still hugely valued - the show recently had its highest audience share in 4 years and still reaches 2.7 million people." Sources claim that the Scottish star will have to "pull out all the stops" for it to survive. It was announced last week that the programme had been affected by the major shake-up at ITV. It will now air for 30 weeks of the year, rather than all year round. And the duration of the programme has been cut from an hour to just half an hour. A source said: "Lorraine was not happy about what is happening and also had concern for the production team which will be cut back too. But the truth is she has to roll her sleeves up and work harder on her own show than she has in recent years, otherwise the long-term future does not look good." "Lorraine was pulled into a meeting with bosses where she was told about Good Morning Britain being taken over by ITN ahead of the public announcement," an insider told Mail Online. The source added: "It was proposed that her show would merge with GMB so that she presented the last 30 minutes of the broadcast, which is what happened when a reduced team were working during lockdown. "But she told them no and said it wasn't even a possibility... fast-forwarded two weeks and the channel announced her show would be cut from an hour to 30 minutes... The entire thing has been an insult and she's certain to leave when the year-long contract ends." It was confirmed on Tuesday Lorraine, This Morning, and Loose Women will relocate from Television Centre to a new filming location, where they plan to share the same studio. There will be limited time between each show so changing the sets may not be an option, as the output of the programmes will likely suffer, it is now claimed. A source added: "In January, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women are moving from Television Centre to a central London location, rumoured to be the Hospital Club in Covent Garden. All three shows will share the same studio, meaning sets will be massively reduced to save space and money. "At present, This Morning broadcasts from a huge studio within Television Centre and Lorraine and Loose Women share one space. Lorraine's set is flipped once they come off air and Loose Women is put in but the new set up is thought to involve all the shows sharing one space with no set flips in between." The Mirror has contacted ITV for further comment on the claims bosses tried to reach a deal with Lorraine, a Scottish broadcaster who has presented various television shows for ITV and STV since 1988.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Lorraine Kelly refused 'insulting' offer from ITV bosses to merge her show with Good Morning Britain - with star poised to QUIT next year
Lorraine Kelly was given the chance by ITV bosses to merge her daytime show with Good Morning Britain to present the last 30 minutes of their broadcast, but she declined. The TV veteran, 65, was pulled into a meeting prior to the channel's budget cuts announcement last week where she was offered the new proposal, which was considered an 'easy fix' after the same format was adopted during the pandemic. Sources have revealed that Lorraine was 'insulted' by the suggestion and told bigwigs it wasn't a possibility, resulting in the reduced runtime of her show from an hour to 30 minutes. MailOnline understands that Lorraine, who has presented her show for the past 14 years, was prepared to 'walk away' but agreed to continue hosting the series until the end of 2026. The star is predicted to quit for good next year after a new role titled 'Head of Lorraine' was created to oversee the changes, but the contract is only for a 12-month period. Last week, ITV confirmed that ITN is taking over the output of Good Morning Britain while Lorraine and Loose Women will only air 30 weeks per year and are moving from Television Centre to a central London studio. A show insider revealed: 'Lorraine was pulled into a meeting with bosses where she was told about Good Morning Britain being taken over by ITN ahead of the public announcement. 'It was proposed that her show would merge with GMB so that she presented the last 30 minutes of the broadcast, which is what happened when a reduced team were working during lockdown. 'But she told them no and said it wasn't even a possibility... fast-forwarded two weeks and the channel announced her show would be cut from an hour to 30 minutes... 'The entire thing has been an insult and she's certain to leave when the year-long contract ends.' On Tuesday, it was confirmed that Lorraine, This Morning, and Loose Women will relocate from Television Centre to a new filming location, where they plan to share the same studio. MailOnline revealed the reality of cutbacks to This Morning last week, which will result in massive changes to the show's current format. And now insiders say there will be limited time between each show so changing the sets may not be an option, as the output of the programmes will likely suffer. A source added: 'In January, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women are moving from Television Centre to a central London location, rumoured to be the Hospital Club in Covent Garden. Lorraine has presented her TV show for the past 14 years and will continue to front the programme until 2026 but her future beyond then remains uncertain 'All three shows will share the same studio, meaning sets will be massively reduced to save space and money. 'At present, This Morning broadcasts from a huge studio within Television Centre and Lorraine and Loose Women share one space. 'Lorraine's set is flipped once they come off air and Loose Women is put in but the new set up is thought to involve all the shows sharing one space with no set flips in between.' A source close to ITV said: 'We were very open about the challenges in the industry and so several options were discussed, the key was ensuring Lorraine was retained and was as comfortable as possible in a changing landscape. 'Her show is still hugely valued, Lorraine recently had its highest audience share in four years and still reaches 2.7 million people.' It was reported by the Sun on Sunday that Susanna Reid, 54, is negotiating a new longer-term two-year contract to become a face of the network while co-host Richard Madeley fought to stay on the series. It's believed the former This Morning presenter faced the axe from his breakfast show job before a showdown with bosses left him with a part-time deal.
Telegraph
24-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
The painful death of daytime TV
When ITV announced it was overhauling its daytime schedule at a hastily assembled meeting this week, it was the latest in a string of demoralising blows for staff. The shake-up, which will lead to more than 220 job losses and sweeping scheduling changes for shows including Good Morning Britain, comes amid broader cutbacks at the channel as it grapples with an uncertain future. But it also forms part of a wider trend that has seen under-pressure broadcasters wielding the axe on trusty daytime stalwarts as they shift focus instead to streaming-friendly hits. For industry executives, it's an inevitable shift as traditional TV channels are forced to maintain their broadcast schedules while also fending off the competition from deep-pocketed streaming rivals. For others, though, it raises concerns about the demise of a popular genre of programming that will hurt the industry and viewers alike. 'I think it's a bit of a canary in the coalmine, what's happened,' says John McVay, the chief executive of Pact, which represents production companies. 'You're going to see a lot of those daytime genres get decimated over the next few years.' ITV's programming shake-up will see it transfer production of breakfast show Good Morning Britain from its in-house studios to ITN, the production business that also makes news programmes for Channel 4 and Channel 5. GMB will be extended by half an hour. Meanwhile, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women will all now air just 30 weeks of the year. More than 200 jobs slashed It is the latest in a series of cuts at the public service broadcaster (PSB), which has already slashed more than 200 jobs and this year lifted its cost-saving target by a further £30m. But ITV is not alone in wielding the axe. Channel 4 has found itself at loggerheads with Britain's production sector over budget cutbacks in recent years. The broadcaster this week revealed it cut spending on programming to £643m last year – among the lowest content budgets in its history, when adjusted for inflation. SAS: Who Dares Wins, Steph's Packed Lunch and The Big Narstie Show are among a string of Channel 4 shows to have been cancelled in recent years. The BBC has also come under fire for its decision to axe daytime medical drama Doctors after 23 years. Screenwriter Philip Ralph branded the move a 'disastrous decision'. Underpinning these cancellations is a step change in audience habits as TV viewing increasingly moves away from broadcast – known in the industry as 'linear' – to online. The latest Ofcom figures show the average number of minutes of broadcast TV watched per day has tumbled by a quarter since 2018. While the switch-off is most acute among Gen Z, the research shows older viewers are increasingly turning to streaming as well. As Britons change how they watch TV, they are also changing what they watch. While breakfast TV was once the epicentre of ratings wars, helping to pull in significant sums of advertising, it is simply no longer in vogue. GMB pulled in an average audience of more than 1m prior to Piers Morgan's acrimonious departure in 2021. That figure now stands at closer to 700,000. Similarly, the rest of the daytime schedule is under pressure in a world of on-demand viewing and instant gratification. So commissioning editors are shifting their focus as audiences – and therefore advertising – decline. Big-ticket entertainment shows such as Britain's Got Talent or I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here still succeed in attracting large audiences on a Saturday night. In a fragmented market, this remains one of the few preserves of mass live viewing, alongside major sporting events. At the same time, reality TV and high-end dramas such as Mr Bates vs The Post Office drive viewers to a broadcaster's streaming service. This helps them wrestle back viewers from the likes of Netflix and win online advertising revenues. 'We have to adapt to the reality of the market' Yet daytime TV falls somewhere between the cracks. It does not pull in huge linear audiences, nor are viewers likely to seek it out on a streaming platform. Alex Mahon, the outgoing chief executive of Channel 4, says: 'What you want in the day is normally comforting programming that's not too demanding, and there's lots of other options that you can stream now of those kind of shows. So we have to adapt to the reality of that market.' Scott Bryan, a television critic, says: 'The shows we watch on streaming have always been different from the shows we watch on live TV. 'I think it's clear that for ITV to compete with streaming services, it has to continue to bump up its drama offering and its streaming offering. So, of course, that comes at the expense of daytime.' ITV insists daytime remains an important part of its schedule, adding that the changes will allow the channel to expand its news output. However, the channel also acknowledges that it will re-invest the cost savings in drama and sports. A report from Pact earlier this year showed broadcasters are moving their spending to higher-budget genres and peak-time entertainment at the expense of factual programmes and daytime TV. Ian Katz, the chief content officer at Channel 4, says: 'What you've seen over the last year or two, across the board, is a focus on the kind of shows that people love to stream – which tend to be reality shows, drama, glossier premium factual shows – and a push towards cheaper programming that is popular on linear that perhaps doesn't stream.' British TV ecosystem at risk The need to redirect budgets away from the 'middle' area of programming occupied by daytime TV comes as broadcasters warn of a funding crisis. Channel 4 is increasingly diverting its resources elsewhere. The youth-focused broadcaster this week struck a deal to air video clips on Spotify. It follows similar deals with TikTok and Snap, as well as a partnership with YouTube. For the production sector, it's a worrying trend. 'All the public service broadcasters are going for bigger, better, fewer,' says McVay. 'The change in commissioning is going to basically squeeze that [middle] part of production to the point where it barely exists.' Industry observers point out that daytime TV is a key training ground for staff such as producers and camera operators – who then go on to work on prime-time shows. If this pipeline of talent is scratched out, the whole British TV ecosystem could be at risk. 'If you tear up daytime too quickly or too recklessly then that can have a real negative consequence for the TV industry, at already quite a perilous time,' says Bryan. Katz acknowledges the problem. 'There is an important issue of how the industry transitions to a world where there's more of these kinds of shows and fewer of the shows in the middle,' he says. What does this mean for viewers? With ITV cutting down its daytime schedule to a so-called 'seasonal' timetable, this will inevitably mean more repeats. It comes as the BBC has also ramped up its use of repeats to fill the gap left by its cost-cutting move, reducing programming by 100 hours. As a result, the cutbacks risk depriving linear TV audiences – predominantly older viewers – of the programmes they know and love. Worse still, the crisis is not limited to 'off-peak' programming. Analysts say the early evening slots of 7pm and 8pm – traditionally home to lifestyle and consumer affairs shows – are also coming under pressure as viewers increasingly choose to switch on a streaming service, rather than browse the programme guide, when they get home from work. Meanwhile, Ofcom has repeatedly sounded the alarm that British comedy programming – particularly sitcoms – are at risk in the streaming age. Jon Petrie, the BBC director of comedy, said this week: 'Without decisive action from broadcasters, policymakers, and industry partners, the future of this uniquely British cultural and economic asset hangs in the balance.' Broadcasters can be forgiven for feeling they are in something of a bind. They are required to maintain costly broadcast infrastructure and air public service content all while adapting to the streaming age and fending off competition from well-resourced US rivals. As a result, many in the industry feel something has to give – and daytime TV is in the crosshairs. This will only become more acute as the industry moves towards a world in which all TV is delivered over the internet. With no schedule to fill and a world of on-demand at viewers' fingertips, the terrestrial switch-off could ultimately be the final nail in the coffin for many of Britain's daytime favourites.
