Martin Lewis, the financial expert who regularly appears on ITV's This Morning, was delayed arriving at the show's London studio on Tuesday after being caught in heavy traffic amid a city-wide tube strike, hosts said on air. Presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard told viewers Lewis would join the programme later after he was "a little bit stuck in traffic," but he did arrive to present a live segment on saving money for September.
The on-air disruption occurred during a discussion about ITV's 70th anniversary party the previous evening at London's Guildhall, where Shephard said he and Deeley had been seated next to Dermot O'Leary, Olivia Attwood and Lewis. "Martin, who is going to be joining us a little bit later on, we think he's a little bit stuck in traffic," Shephard said, adding later that Lewis had been at the event until 10:30 p.m. Deeley and Shephard continued the programme while the financial expert made his way into the studio.
When he did arrive, Lewis presented a preannounced segment titled "September Savings," offering viewers practical tips for cutting costs and recovering money, including guidance on how to claim compensation for delayed or cancelled flights using online tools. The item proceeded as scheduled after his late arrival.
The delay came amid a week-long tube strike that has caused some of the worst travel disruption seen in parts of London in recent years. Striking members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union have put forward an extensive list of demands, including proposals for a four-day working week and concessions such as two-for-one Legoland tickets, while rail and Tube services have been severely reduced during industrial action.
Images and reports from around the capital showed closed station entrances, long queues at bus stops and heavy congestion on central London roads. Officials said lanes were closed in places, contributing to gridlock in areas including routes around King's Cross St Pancras, where the RMT has held official picket lines. Some commuters reported journeys of several hours on bus routes that normally take a fraction of the time. Demand for alternative travel options also surged, with reports of shortfalls in available taxis, rapid uptake of hire bicycles and temporary outages or high traffic on Transport for London information services.
ITV did not immediately comment beyond the live programme's coverage. The strike, and associated disruption to travel into and across the capital, remained under way on Tuesday as unions and transport authorities continued to deal with the impact on services and commuters.