ITV’s beloved daytime show Loose Women found itself at the center of a storm this week, as sweeping changes to the network’s daytime programming left fans and panelists grappling with a new reality. On Monday, January 5, 2026, the show aired its first episode without a live studio audience, a significant shift that hasn’t gone unnoticed by viewers or those on the famous panel. The move, part of a broader cost-saving initiative at ITV, has sparked heated debate about the soul of live television and the future of daytime entertainment in the UK.
The start of 2026 saw Loose Women relocate to The H Club Studio in Covent Garden, London, leaving behind its long-time home at the Television Centre in White City. The new setting, while modern, lacked the vibrant energy that the live audience once provided. Presenters Christine Lampard, 46, Coleen Nolan, 60, Kelly Brook, 46, and Jane Moore, 63, returned to the screen to discuss the day’s newsworthy topics. But for many watching at home, something felt off. Social media quickly lit up with reactions—some bemused, others outright dismayed. One viewer wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Omg how weird is #LooseWomen with no audience!!!” Another lamented, “No audience, it’s just empty.” The absence was palpable, with another post reading, “The audience helped bring a fantastic atmosphere and now decided that it’s not important anymore.”
The panelists themselves seemed to feel the void. During a segment with guest Tom Read Wilson, Coleen Nolan broke the silence by joking, “It’s quite quiet, I’ll give you a round of applause!” This small moment underscored the show’s challenge: filling the space once occupied by laughter, applause, and the collective energy of a live crowd. According to the Daily Mail, a TV source revealed, “The panelists are really upset over the decision to axe the live studio audience from the show. It’s what sets the series apart from the rest of ITV daytime and now there are massive fears that viewers will switch off completely.” The source added, “Presenters already know how it feels to broadcast the show without an audience because that’s what happened during the pandemic, and they all know it creates low mood and lack of atmosphere.”
The decision to remove the audience wasn’t made lightly. In June 2025, the Daily Mail exclusively reported that ITV would axe the live audience for Loose Women as part of a desperate bid to save money amid ongoing budget cuts. The previous month, it was suggested that both Lorraine and Loose Women might be axed for half the year, and that Lorraine’s runtime would be slashed by 30 minutes. These changes came into effect in January 2026, as ITV sought to rein in costs and redirect funding to other programming priorities.
Back in May, it was revealed that Lorraine Kelly, host of Lorraine, would see her show trimmed to just 30 minutes, airing from 9:30am to 10am, with Good Morning Britain taking over the coveted 9-10am slot for 22 weeks each year. For the remaining 30 weeks, Lorraine would present five days a week, meaning Friday stand-ins Ranvir Singh and Christine Lampard would no longer be required. According to a source cited by the Daily Mail, “There is a need to cost save but also so that the right money can go to the right shows and with everything getting more expensive these things have to be looked at.” Despite these cuts, the source emphasized, “Christine and Ranvir remain part of the ITV daytime family.”
In a further shake-up, ITV Studios will no longer produce Good Morning Britain from 2026; instead, production will shift to ITN, the organization responsible for ITV News. This move could mean a merger between staff working on GMB and the channel’s news bulletins. However, ITV was quick to reassure fans and staff alike that no on-screen talent would be axed. “We recognize daytime is a very popular genre and these changes and efficiencies are about preserving the future of the genre, whilst also funding additional investment in dramas like Mr Bates vs The Post Office and in coverage of the biggest sporting events like next year’s football World Cup as well as the UK’s biggest reality and entertainment shows,” an ITV source told the Daily Mail. “This has nothing to do with under performance, the bosses are very pleased with all four shows. This Morning and GMB have escaped unscathed, their social media footprint is booming.”
Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of ITV’s Media and Entertainment Division, explained the broader vision behind the changes. “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,” Lygo said. He emphasized the importance of consolidating ITV’s news operations and expanding national, international, and regional news output. “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.”
Lygo acknowledged the impact on production teams, stating, “I recognize 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.”
Amid these structural changes, the heart of Loose Women continues to beat through its panelists’ candid conversations. On January 6, 2026, the show featured Christine Lampard, Coleen Nolan, Brenda Edwards, and Gloria Hunniford. The episode took a personal turn as Brenda Edwards opened up about spending Christmas 2025 with her secret boyfriend. For the first time, she decorated her living room with festive lights and ornaments, marking a significant shift in her approach to the holiday—a time she has historically found difficult due to the loss of her parents. “My stocking was full and running over! It was brilliant,” Brenda shared, expressing the joy she found in the season. She invited her boyfriend to spend several days with her family, introducing him to her brother and aunties, and described the experience as a “very big occasion.”
Brenda recounted, “He’s really sweet. He offered to chop up the vegetables and it was lovely. We were cooking together... I’m keeping him.” Family responses varied, with Aunt Pam loving him and Aunt Betty remaining more reserved. Brenda revealed that her boyfriend now has a key to her flat, a sign of the deepening relationship. Christine Lampard reflected on Brenda’s journey, observing, “This first Christmas as a couple has actually made you enjoy it.” Brenda agreed, “It’s the start of me getting back into just celebrating it... We had lots of food, it was absolutely wonderful.” The segment ended with playful speculation from Gloria Hunniford about a possible engagement or wedding next Christmas, which Brenda quickly dismissed, saying, “There’s no wedding.”
As Loose Women navigates a new chapter—without the buzz of a live audience and within the constraints of a tighter budget—its panelists’ openness and the show’s signature discussions continue to resonate. Whether the changes will ultimately help ITV weather the financial storm or risk alienating its loyal daytime viewers remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the conversation, both on and off the screen, is far from over.
