Staff on Good Morning Britain have been told the programme’s new London studios will not include a staff canteen, prompting complaints that presenters and crew will need to bring packed breakfasts as ITV presses ahead with cost-saving measures.
According to reports, presenters including Susanna Reid attended a staff meeting this week in which it was explained that toasters would be banned on health-and-safety grounds and the new kitchen is in a basement with no natural light. The change comes as Good Morning Britain prepares to relocate to the ITN studios and as ITV implements wider production cuts affecting daytime shows.
An insider told The Sun that employees were told there would be no canteen at the new premises and that staff who work overnight shifts were particularly upset at the move. The insider said staff had been left "bamboozled" after discovering a yoga studio was planned for the roof while basic kitchen facilities were being removed.
The planned changes form part of a package of savings announced by ITV that will also affect Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women. From January, several programmes will move to the BBC Studioworks Television Centre and some schedules will be altered: Good Morning Britain is to run for an extra half hour, Lorraine’s slot will be reduced to 30 minutes, and Loose Women will be on air for 30 weeks a year rather than year‑round, reports said.
Former Loose Women panellist Sherrie Hewson criticised the reduction in episodes, telling The Sun on Sunday that the decision was "cruel" and warning it could remove a "lifeline" for older and vulnerable viewers who rely on the show. Hewson, who said she volunteers in care homes, described the programme as therapeutic for many viewers.
ITV has previously faced internal disputes over kitchen appliances. The reports noted that management once reconsidered a ban on toasters after it was raised on air by a presenter. ITV was contacted for comment.
The network has framed the changes as necessary responses to shifting viewing habits, including increased use of streaming services, and the need to remain commercially sustainable while preserving key titles. Executives have said they are reviewing production and scheduling to reduce costs while keeping flagship programmes on air.
Staff reaction highlights tensions that can accompany relocation and consolidation of broadcast operations. Presenters and crew who have worked with on-site kitchens and communal spaces cited practical difficulties in losing those facilities, particularly for shows that begin early in the morning and for staff working nonstandard hours. Management has signalled changes will take effect with the moves in January, but full operational details and timelines for the new studio facilities have not been published.
Broadcasters across the UK have in recent years restructured production arrangements to cut overheads and adapt to audience fragmentation. ITV’s latest measures follow a period of strategic reviews in which the company identified opportunities to streamline studio use and programme schedules. The reported canteen closure and equipment restrictions underscore the operational impacts of that strategy on day-to-day staff routines.