Latest news with #Lygo
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Loose Women's Nadia Sawalha brands ITV cuts 'brutal'
Loose Women panellist Nadia Sawalha has said ITV's cuts to its daytime schedule came "out of the blue" and have been "absolutely brutal" for those working on the show. ITV announced last week it was axing more than 220 jobs and making cuts to shows including Loose Women and Lorraine. Speaking on her YouTube channel, Sawalha said: "What's been brutal, absolutely brutal, over the last week, honestly I feel tearful about it, is that hundreds of people... are going to be made redundant out of the blue, these are all the people behind the scenes that support us in every way." There have been reports that the pool of panellists will be reduced, and Sawalha said she "could be let go tomorrow, [or] I could be let go in five years". In an annoucnement last week, ITV boss Kevin Lygo stressed that daytime is "a really important part" of its programming, and said he recognised that the plans "will have an impact on staff". In her video, Sawalha, who has also appeared in EastEnders, Dancing on Ice and The Bill, said Loose Women and Lorraine had been "highly successful", but that she accepted inflation was "insane, and cuts have to be made", before becoming emotional. "Behind the scenes there are people that are really suffering, and what you don't realise is when you attack the show you attack them, because you never see all the army of people behind the scenes and how hard they work," she said. "So to all my friends and colleagues behind the scenes that have just got a huge shock out of the blue, I'm so sorry." She added that she thought some conversations about the cuts had been "misogynistic", stressing the impact of the cuts on many of her friends and colleagues on the show, who have worked there for decades. "I can't tell you how upsetting it was to see people walking around numb with shock and fear about what they are going to do... [when] television is coming very slowly to its natural end." Speaking from her own perspective, she added: "What people don't realise at Loose Women is that we're self-employed. I am self-employed. Every contract is a new contract. "I could be let go tomorrow, I could be let go in five years, you don't know because we're not employees." Under the changes, Loose Women will be broadcast for 30 instead of 52 weeks. Lorraine Kelly's morning show will also be cut to 30 weeks, and will reduce from an hour to 30 minutes. While ITV did not comment on Sawalha's views, they referred to Lygo's comments about the cuts in last week's announcement. "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," ITV's managing director of media and entertainment said. "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." During weeks when Lorraine is not on air, Good Morning Britain will extend by half an hour, from 06:00 BST to 10:00 BST. This Morning will stay in its slot on weekdays across the year. In February, ITV announced that soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale would see their content cut by an hour a week between them from next year. Earlier this month, ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said the company was making "good progress" on a cost-cutting drive, and that she expected to make £30m non-content savings during 2025. In the past few years, there has been a downturn in advertising revenue, part of a funding squeeze throughout the TV industry. Lorraine's ITV show cut to 30 minutes as job cuts loom How can traditional British TV survive the US streaming giants? Emmerdale and Coronation Street schedules face cutbacks
Edinburgh Live
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
ITV announces huge changes with Lorraine and Good Morning Britain impacted
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info ITV has unveiled alterations to its celebrated daytime programmes' timetables and production processes. Starting January 2026, Good Morning Britain is set for a half-hour extension, broadcasting from 6am until 9.30am each weekday. Lorraine will adopt a new format, airing from 9.30am till 10am, but only for 30 weeks per year, coinciding with other daytime presenters' seasonal schedules. When Lorraine is off-air, Good Morning Britain will fill the morning with a full four-hour stretch, starting at 6am and concluding at 10am. This Morning will maintain its regular slot from 10am to 12.30pm on weekdays, while Loose Women will continue to feature from 12.30pm till 1.30pm, reports the Daily Record. (Image: ITV) Kevin Lygo, ITV's Media and Entertainment Division's Managing Director, has provided insight into this strategic shift. 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 generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres." He further elaborated: "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. (Image: RAY BURMISTON) "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." (Image: ITV) The expanded Good Morning Britain will continue its mix of news, interviews, debate and competitions while allowing for the inclusion of more regional news, more agenda-setting investigations and exclusives and more reporting on and analysis of the biggest stories of the day around the UK and the world. Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women are available to watch on ITVX
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ITV awarded BAFTA Television Special Award for Mr Bates vs The Post Office
ITV has been awarded the BAFTA Television Special Award for commissioning 'Mr Bates vs The Post Office'. The programme – which centred on the scandal that saw hundreds of subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted due to the faulty Horizon computer system – has been one of the channel's biggest dramas in 20 years captured the interest of the nation when it was broadcast in January 2024, triggering policy change and reopening the case to seek justice for postmasters. The drama, which starred Toby Jones as campaigner Sir Alan Bates, saw its audience climb significantly during the four nights that it was on air and the scandal was being discussed in parliament within three weeks of the broadcast as a bill was rushed through to quash many of the convictions involving the Horizon computer system. The Special Award celebrates ITV's groundbreaking commissioning of the drama and the power of television to drive change in society. Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of ITV's Media and Entertainment division, said: "This award is a real honour. ITV has a proud tradition of covering important stories like this through drama, and bringing them to the widest audiences. "We all knew this was an important story that needed to be told, but we could never have anticipated the scale of what came next. The public reaction showed how very British stories of human injustice can unite all walks of life, and affect real world change. "Huge credit is due to the team who made it, and all the people who entrusted us with their story." Hilary Rosen, BAFTA Television Committee Chair, said: "This is public service television at its best and shows the power of television to change hearts and minds. "In a climate where the cost and risk of making UK-specific dramas that have limited international appeal is becoming increasingly challenging, this Special Award champions ITV's brave commission and honours the social and public impact television can have. "As 'Mr Bates vs The Post Office' has proved, audiences want and need to hear these important British stories." The BAFTA Television Special Award will be presented to Lygo and ITV's Head of Drama Polly Hill during the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P+O Cruises ceremony on Sunday 11 May at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The ceremony will be hosted by actor Alan Cumming and will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
04-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Emmerdale and Coronation Street schedules face cut backs
ITV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale are to see their content cut by an hour a week between them from next Street currently airs for three hour-long episodes a week, while Emmerdale is four 30-minute episodes plus one hour-long January 2026, both soaps will only air 30-minute episodes, with a "soaps power hour" every week day featuring Emmerdale at 8pm and Coronation Street at will continue to be released at 7am on ITVX before airing on ITV later that evening. 'Streaming-friendly' ITV boss Kevin Lygo said the change is "viewer-led" and will make the soaps more "streaming-friendly".Performing arts union Equity said the move, which comes after the cancellation of BBC soap Doctors and changes to Channel 4's Hollyoaks schedule, gives it "further cause for concern", but added that ITV has said it "will not directly impact the cast or result in changes to pay or contracts".Lygo added: "In a world where there is so much competition for viewers' time and attention, and viewing habits continue to change, we believe this is the right amount of episodes that fans can fit into their viewing schedule, to keep up to date with the acknowledged that going from the current six hours a week to five will "have an impact for the people who work on the soaps team"."We will support our colleagues in ITV Studios as they work through these changes, and will do what we can to mitigate the impact on our people," he said."These changes are motivated by doing what we believe is best for the continuing success of these important programmes in the long term."They also create headroom in the overall programme budget for investment in programming that can help ITV grow reach in a very, very competitive market."Emmerdale and Coronation Street have gone through several schedule changes over the years. Both began with only two episodes a week before increasing to six weekly episodes in later years. While Equity acknowledged the assurance from ITV, the union's TV official Natalie Barker said: "We do know that fewer episodes will mean fewer opportunities for work for our members engaged as guest and supporting artists on these productions."This is a significant loss for our members in the North East and North West regions and continues the ongoing trend of fewer opportunities for screen work, especially in the regions and for early career actors."In the past few years, there has been a downturn in advertising revenue, part of a funding squeeze throughout the TV other long-running dramas, the BBC has axed Doctors and Holby City, and trimmed the number of episodes of Casualty (but has revived Waterloo Road). Channel 5 also axed its funding for 4's Hollyoaks also went from five episodes to three last year.
