Big changes are afoot in the world of British television, as two of the country’s most recognizable TV personalities—Ruth Langsford and Kate Garraway—have opened up about both personal and professional challenges in the wake of sweeping industry shifts. On September 28, 2025, Langsford, best known for her stints on This Morning and Loose Women, reflected on her emotional journey on Strictly Come Dancing, while Garraway, a pillar of Good Morning Britain, addressed the far-reaching budget cuts at ITV that threaten to reshape daytime programming and impact hundreds of staff.
For Ruth Langsford, the glitz and glamour of Strictly Come Dancing masked a far more complex reality. Speaking candidly about her time on the BBC’s beloved dance competition, Langsford revealed the immense pressures she faced juggling an already packed schedule. “Nobody believes me,” she admitted, according to Manchester Evening News, “but I genuinely can say there was not one Saturday where I 100% knew my dance because I didn’t have enough time.”
Langsford recounted how balancing her commitments to This Morning and Loose Women meant she could only join rehearsals in the afternoon, already exhausted from a full day of work. “I wasn’t that person that did 10-12 hours of rehearsals a day because I couldn’t, and it was fine, and I just accepted that and I did what I could.” She described the challenge of learning new routines with Anton Du Beke, her professional partner, and confessed, “I thought, ‘I’ve got the moves’, but it was so different because I couldn’t remember choreography.”
Despite the hurdles, Langsford’s memories of the show are overwhelmingly positive, largely thanks to her partnership with Du Beke, who became a permanent judge on Strictly in 2021. “I think the best thing was my friendship with Anton, we laughed and laughed, and he was so kind to me. I always want people to know that, Anton’s such a laugh – he’s laugh, laugh, laugh – but he’s the kindest man.” Langsford recalled how Du Beke’s unwavering support helped her through moments of self-doubt and exhaustion. “There were times... I was always bursting into tears as the show went on, because it gets hard, and everyone’s so good, and then I would feel really rubbish because I would think, ‘I can’t do it’. And he’d go, ‘you’re fine’. I felt like I was letting him down, but he never criticised me, he was just fun.”
Langsford’s comments come at a time when Strictly Come Dancing has been under intense scrutiny following several controversies. In 2023, Amanda Abbington lodged a complaint against her professional partner Giovanni Pernice, alleging verbal bullying and harassment. The BBC later apologized to Abbington, acknowledging parts of her complaint, though Pernice was cleared of the most serious allegations of physical aggression. Additionally, former professional dancer Graziano Di Prima was dismissed from the show after accusations of misconduct, including kicking his partner Zara McDermott during training—a move he has since expressed regret over.
Langsford was careful to distinguish her own experiences from the broader controversies, stating, “I think you can only speak from your own experience, and I had the best experience. Everybody on the show that year, you know, seemed to love it. We all got on very well and it’s always very difficult, isn’t it, when a programme is under the microscope. I don’t want to comment about the things that have gone on, because I wasn’t there. So all I can say is, I had the best partner in Anton I could ever have had.”
She also took the opportunity to praise the entire Strictly production team, saying, “It’s a phenomenal team – the choreographers, the professional dancers, hair, makeup, costume, everything, the set, the band – it’s just a phenomenal show and I hope it lives on, and on, and on. And I’m sure it will, because the public love it. It only gets better every year, in my opinion.”
Meanwhile, over at ITV, Kate Garraway is navigating a different set of challenges. As reported by The Sun and other outlets, Garraway has spoken out about the broadcaster’s sweeping budget cuts, which are set to affect its flagship soaps and daytime shows in 2026. The changes include the loss of more than 220 staff positions and a dramatic restructuring of the daytime schedule. Lorraine will be reduced to a 30-minute slot for 30 weeks each year, and Loose Women will air for just 30 weeks instead of 52. At the same time, Good Morning Britain will be extended and produced by ITV News at ITN, starting in January 2026.
Garraway, who has been a mainstay of Good Morning Britain since its 2014 launch, reflected on the uncertainty these changes bring, especially as she faces life as a single mother following the death of her husband, Derek Draper, last year after his battle with long Covid. “It’s all change across ITV daytime. All I know at the moment is that it’s happening in January. The show is getting longer and the gang on screen have been told that they want the audience to feel it’s the same viewing experience. So, for us, it feels like business as usual.”
Addressing her personal circumstances, Garraway shared, “I had a trial run of solo income from the second Derek got sick, then after he came home I had exponential outgoings to fund his care. All I can say is, I have even more admiration for single mothers.” She went on to praise her colleague Ranvir Singh, noting, “I’ve talked a lot with [fellow GMB presenter] Ranvir Singh, who’s always been a single mum. I don’t know how she’s done it – mentally, financially and physically – for so long.”
Despite the challenges, Garraway remains optimistic. “There’s definitely a feeling when you’re in a marriage like mine that it’s a team. Now, there’s a shift, and it’s not fun. But it happens to a lot of people and you just get on with it.” She added, “And there’s lots of things I’ve got that are exciting. Without wiping away everything that’s happened, the kids are happy. I do feel positive. But you have to be able to navigate it all, otherwise you get locked in a sad place.”
The restructuring at ITV was first announced in May, with Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of ITV’s Media and Entertainment Division, emphasizing the broadcaster’s commitment to trusted journalism. “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.” He continued, “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.”
As British television faces both internal and external pressures, the voices of Langsford and Garraway offer a window into the resilience and adaptability required to weather such storms. Their stories—marked by humor, honesty, and hope—remind viewers that behind the scenes of their favorite shows, real people are navigating real challenges, both on and off the screen.
