Lorraine Kelly’s ITV daytime show returned for its first episode of the year this morning (January 5), and viewers couldn’t help but assume she wasn’t happy.
Due to major cuts at ITV, the breakfast programme, which used to air at 9am, has now moved to a 9.30am slot and now only airs for 30 minutes.
Not only that, but the show has also been reduced to just 30 episodes per year and now broadcasts in a brand-new studio.
Lorraine Kelly returns to ITV show amid schedule cut
On Monday, the 66-year-old hosted her 30-minute slot for the first time, where she welcomed Joel Dommett to discuss the latest series of The Masked Singer. He also opened up about becoming a father for the second time.
Elsewhere in the episode, the show also discussed Jesy Nelson’s twins’ heartbreaking severe muscle disease called SMA type one.
Due to such a short episode, people at home noted that Lorraine was likely not pleased with her new working schedule…
‘She is trying to make up the loss of her programme by talking twice as fast’
“Has @lorraine had her show cut? Doing a show for just 30 minutes a day must really have annoyed her. #Lorraine,” one user wrote on X.
“‘It’s all good,’ she lies. Air time and probably salary cut in half #GMB #Lorraine,” another person insisted.
“I bet she’s still seething that her programme’s been cut to not much more than 20 mins plus adverts,” a third remarked.
“Jeeeeez, she is trying to make up the loss of her programme by talking twice as fast,” a fourth said.
‘It’s been difficult with the cuts’
Last May, ITV announced it was making major changes to its daytime TV schedules. Following the news, Lorraine admitted the cuts were “heartbreaking”.
She continued: “A lot of my team have been with me for more than 20 years and they’re my friends. I’ve grown up with them. They were babies when they started with me and now they’ve got babies of their own.”
However, Lorraine was happy that a lot of her team have since been redeployed onto other shows.
“It’s been difficult with the cuts, it’s been hard. I’m a lot happier about it now, but it was honestly and genuinely all about the team. I wasn’t annoyed or angry about this for me…it was about the team,” she added.
Read more: Lorraine Kelly to ‘consider other opportunities’ after ‘great shock’ of ITV daytime show being cut
What do you think of the change at ITV? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFixand let us know. We want to hear your thoughts!