PR expert Lynn Carratt says many of the original Loose Women such as Kaye Adams or Coleen Nolan could be replaced by 'newer, younger' talent such as Frankie Bridge and Olivia Attwood
A PR guru has said that daytime TV audiences are getting "bored" with Loose Women after 25 years and predicted a major shake-up of the presenting panel.
ITV is revamping its daytime output, with Lorraine and Loose Women getting cut back to 30 weeks a year. At the same time, budgets are being slashed and 220 staff are losing their jobs.
Presenters Kaye Adams and Nadia Sawalha were on the first ever episode in 1999, and panellists such as Ruth Langsford, Coleen Nolan and Jane Moore have been with the show for a quarter of a century.
Speaking to New magazine, a source close to Nolan said: "Coleen is particularly upset about the whole thing and feels shocked and blindsided. She's lost her sister recently and it's been a very tough year – so this is even more devastating news.
"She was one of the first Loose Women and she's always thought it would go on forever. The Loose Women ladies are all gutted. They love the show and are really dedicated to it."
The Blackpool-born mum-of-three, 60, lost her sister Bernie in 2013 aged 52, then in January this year, older sister Linda at 65, to cancer.
PR expert Lynn Carratt has said the changes at ITV "could spell the end of daytime TV as we know it" as audiences desert terrestrial programming for streaming services. She added: "Loose Women has been running for many years and these shows do eventually need a new lease of life. Audiences get bored. But no doubt, these changes will cause tension between the women, over who gets picked to join the panel."
According to Wikipedia, Loose Women now has four presenters – Adams, Langsford, Christine Lampard and Charlene White – and a huge cast of 22 guest panellists. They include regulars, such as Nolan, Moore and Sawalha, as well as Denise Welch, Linda Robson and Janet Street-Porter.
Others, such as Dame Kelly Holmes or Katie Piper, only appear more occasionally. Lynn says: "Each of the LW presenters will, naturally, be competing now for more airtime."
And she said: "Will it mean we see less of our favourites, such as Coleen, on the screen? Will TV bosses go for the newer, younger panellists more to attract a younger audience - such as GK Barry, Frankie Bridge, Olivia Attwood - a trend towards revamping the show?"
