Following the news of job cuts taking place across ITV’s daytime shows, sources tell Closer that panic is running at an all-time high for the Loose Women panellists as fears grow that they might face the axe.
It was announced last month that the daytime show will only air for 30 weeks of the year from January, with Lorraine Kelly’s self-titled chat show also facing the same fate. While Loose Women’s episodes will remain an hour long, Lorraine’s will be slashed to just 30 minutes.
Although This Morning remains untouched, Good Morning Britain’s production will move from ITV Studios to ITN, with 220 jobs being cut across the network’s daytime shows.
And a source tells Closer the on-screen talent are worrying which of them will be shown the door once Loose Women downsizes, particularly as younger celebs appear to be increasingly dominating the panel. Amid the changes, Stacey Solomon is tipped to be the biggest winner of the reshuffle.
Our insider says that bosses hope that singer-turned-influencer Stacey – who hasn’t appeared on the panel since November 2023 – can host the show more regularly.
The mum-of-five has racked up an online following of over six million thanks to her social media posts about body positivity and her crafting and tidying tips. But some of the longer serving members of the team are said to be worrying that Stacey will end up taking over the show.
‘The other girls feel like they can’t compete with Stacey’s stats,’ the source says. ‘They’ve been told to work on their socials and get on TikTok – but that’s a full-time job in itself, filming assets and making sure they’re not posting anything inappropriate.
‘Show bosses are saying any changes are not to be taken personally, but the panellists argue that being sacked is always personal! None of the original panel – including Coleen Nolan, Ruth Langsford, Linda Robson, Nadia Sawalha and Denise Welch – feel safe anymore.
‘Nadia has been warning her co-stars it’s not about who you are anymore, but how many followers you have. Coleen knows she’s not really clickbait and feels the wrong side of this next generation of presenters.’
Perhaps tellingly, Coleen, 60, has recently launched a YouTube channel, inviting fans onto her farm and showing off her beloved pets.
One of the first major cuts to LooseWomen has already been announced with the axing of the studio audience to take place. Nadia – who hosted the first-ever episode alongside Kaye Adams, Jane Moore and Karren Brady in 1999 – says she is ‘devastated’ by the decision.
The 60-year-old told fans on her own YouTube channel, ‘I can’t get over it at all… The audience is so important for the show.’
Jane, 63, has also been vocal about the shake up, calling her fellow panellists ‘all interesting, funny women with wisdom to impart and great stories to tell, yet dismissed by some as though all we’re doing is gossiping over the garden wall after pegging out our washing.’
Meanwhile, Kaye, 62, has admitted to having ‘sleepless nights’ over the job cuts, saying, ‘It’s just like the rug’s been pulled from under your feet… It’s going to have an impact. Lots of people will lose their jobs completely which is terrible.’
Show insiders tell us that, although final decisions are yet to be made, bosses are gearing towards a younger panel, with Judi Love, 45, Stacey Solomon, 35, Katie Piper, 41, Christine Lampard, 46, Frankie Bridge, 36, and Olivia Attwood, 34, all making the shortlist of panellists expected to stay.
Our source adds, ‘In the long term it could mean a farewell to the golden oldies – Coleen’s been on the show, on and off, since 2000, a quarter of century.
‘Viewing numbers are down and financial cuts have been made to save the ship, and there’s a few that are expected to walk the plank. But that will create mutiny. There has been a lot of talk about bringing on new faces – influencers such as Molly-Mae Hague are top of the list that bosses want to bring on board. They’re also believed to be in negotiation with Vicky Pattison and Mrs Hinch.’
And while older members of the panel face the axe, younger faces are being given more job opportunities, with it recently being announced that former Love Island star Olivia will make the move from LooseWomen to the This Morning sofa over the summer. She described her guest host slot as ‘a huge honour’, adding, ‘Being part of the [ITV] daytime team with the Loose Women has been the best experience and this just feels like a very natural progression of that.’
Our source concludes, ‘There’s a lot of panic as further chops are on the cards and the fear of going off air will see a legacy of women gone forever.’