ITV’s biggest names were reported to be concerned about the future of their jobs.
It comes as the network’s slump in viewing figures continues to drop on shows such as Good Morning Britain, Loose Women and This Morning. Sources claim that several of the big names in the network are due to have their contracts reviewed in the upcoming months.
Meanwhile, Good Morning Britain is believed to be undergoing a huge revamp in a bid to draw in more viewers. It’s claimed that the panel of Loose Women could also be at risk as ITV seeks to save cash as well as backroom job positions.
Sources claim that editors at ITV are frequently sending staff “heat map” bulletins, showing where they have lost viewers at home. They went on to add that the contracts for on-screen staff are often reviewed in August or September with several members of the on-screen talent being warned of cuts.
Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley are rumoured to be on a salary of £550,000 (
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(Image: ITV))
“A few of the Loose Women panel are worried too, as so many new faces have been brought in and some have worked better than others,” a source told The Sun. The source went on to state that the likes of This Morning’s Dermot O’Leary and Good Morning Britain’s Adil Ray are on year-long contracts so “theoretically most likely to be in the firing line.”
They added: “Dermot polls really well with viewers and absolutely no one wants him to go anywhere, so he’ll be safe. A few of the Loose Women panel are worried too, as so many new faces have been brought in and some have worked better than others.” The source went on to describe Good Morning Britain, ITV’s flagship news programme as “pretty frenetic”.
However, a spokesperson for ITV told the Mirror: “This isn’t true. ITV’s Daytime shows have never had a better connection with viewers reaching 7.5 million weekly. They are amongst the most popular on ITVX and reach millions more across digital platforms. Furthermore, we are very proud of our teams, both on and off screen, who produce seven and half hours of brilliant live content every weekday.”
ITV recently announced that 200 jobs are to be cut in a bid to save £50million per year. Those working on the likes of This Morning and Good Morning Britain have also had their salaries frozen according to the outlet. It’s believed that Cat Deeley and Dermot O’Leary have a salary of a whopping £550,000 after taking over from Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
Meanwhile, Susanna Reid is said to be on an eye-watering £1.1 million per year contract. The drop in ratings is said to have triggered bosses to call Town Hall meetings with staff across the programmes. A spokesperson for ITV said: “Town hall meetings happen frequently for teams to keep up to date with company news and also serve as an opportunity for staff to have questions answered.
“The latest one was to celebrate the success of Lorraine Kelly receiving a BAFTA Special Recognition Award and the two BAFTA nominations for Daytime last weekend. It was also a transparent portrayal of what is currently happening across the industry.”
