This Morning may have dodged a schedule chop, but brutal behind-the-scenes cuts are gutting the show – from axing Alison’s LA trips to ditching outdoor filming and big-budget stunts
This Morning may have dodged the headline-grabbing schedule changes handed to Lorraine and Loose Women, but an insider has claimed the show is facing a major overhaul that will leave it barely recognisable come 2026.
While presenters Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley keep smiling on screen, ITV bosses are making sweeping cuts behind the scenes. From January 2026, This Morning will no longer feature its famous musical theatre performances, glossy outside broadcasts, or Alison Hammond’s Hollywood red carpet interviews.
Several unnamed sources spoke to the MailOnline about the shake-up, with one revealing: “The cost of production is on the rise and budgets are going to be significantly reduced when the shows launch in their new schedule slots. Big production items like musical performances or outside broadcasts, which is what the show is famous for, will be cut. Gone are the days of flying talent like Alison Hammond to Los Angeles to interview Hollywood stars.”
The cuts come amid a broader crisis at ITV Daytime, with restructuring and budget reductions hitting all four of its flagship shows: This Morning, Lorraine, Loose Women, and Good Morning Britain.
More than 220 of 440 staff at ITV Studios, which produces all four shows, are expected to lose their jobs. The company plans to merge production teams and reduce costs across the board, with only This Morning keeping its full five-day schedule.
Even so, the show is far from untouched. With Alison’s American trips scrapped and large-scale segments binned, producers are reportedly under pressure to deliver the same energy and polish with far less money.
“The general consensus among staff is that the shows are being put on life support,” one insider claimed. “And within time, Lorraine and Loose Women will be the first to be cancelled.”
It’s a brutal picture across the board. ITV has already confirmed that Lorraine and Loose Women will each be cut to 30 weeks of broadcasts a year – down from the usual 52. Lorraine will also be shortened to 30 minutes per episode.
Stand-in presenters Christine Lampard and Ranvir Singh have reportedly been dropped from Lorraine, while Loose Women is allegedly bracing for a potential cull of up to a third of its on-air talent.
Meanwhile, Good Morning Britain is being reshaped under ITN’s control, with its production merging with the ITV News team. The morning news show will be extended to cover the airtime lost when Lorraine is off-air but it too will be working with a reduced budget.
The Guardian reported that in a note to staff, ITV News editor Laura Wilshaw confirmed: “GMB will need to be produced on a reduced overall budget,” adding that the aim is to “faithfully recreate the Good Morning Britain programme viewers love as much as we can.”
Also reported by the Guardian, Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment, defended the sweeping changes, claiming they would free up funds for other areas of programming and added: “Daytime is a really important part of what we do.”
Despite the upheaval, This Morning’s core presenting team, Ben Shephard, Cat Deeley, Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, are understood to be safe from job cuts. But the future of the show’s format is less secure, as ITV continues to look for ways to save money behind the scenes.
The Mirror did reach out to ITV but they declined to comment.
