Chaos has reportedly descended backstage at Good Morning Britain's studios, with awkwardly located toilets leading to "embarrassing moments" for some of the show's stars. The disruptions come following the program's move at the beginning of the year from its White City home to ITN's Central London headquarters as part of company-wide cost-saving measures.
Much delayed renovation works at the Gray's Inn Road studios have reportedly exacerbated the issue, with restrooms now situated farther from the set than before. This has led to presenters experiencing rushed journeys back to the studio, with at least one notable instance where host Laura Tobin had to admit she had returned from a comfort break after being questioned about her tardiness by Richard Madeley.
In another incident, co-host Adil Ray had to begin a live interview with guests Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu without Kate Garraway, who sheepishly joined the discussion after a late return from a commercial break due to the distance to the facilities.
A source told The Sun that the presenters are on air for four solid hours with limited opportunities for breaks. "They've been really honest with viewers about being caught nipping to the loo in the ad breaks, but due to the ongoing building work it makes it tricky to dash to the far-away bathrooms and get back quickly," the source said. "They laugh it off but it's awkward to have to explain to the nation every time it happens. The presenters have been good sports but it's starting to get a bit much."
The insider further explained that at the previous Television Centre location, the restrooms were "literally across the corridor from the studio," whereas now they require a "couple of minutes walk," which is often longer than the duration of ad breaks.
The primary issue is reported to be ITN's building works, which are nearly nine months behind schedule, causing significant disruption within the building. While a toilet closer to the studio was available, it had been out of order for some time, though it is now understood to be fixed.
A spokesperson for GMB commented on the situation, stating: "After a short interruption to their usual flow, our studio toilets are working again, so this story can go down the drain."
This situation follows reports from February indicating rising tensions at ITV daytime's new studio due to a lack of space, which led to stars sharing toilets and dressing rooms. In January, approximately 200 staff were let go as part of cost-cutting measures, and Lorraine, This Morning, and Loose Women relocated to a smaller studio in Covent Garden.
Sharing a single studio for all three programs resulted in Loose Women losing its live studio audience. Reports indicated that presenters were forced to share dressing rooms and use communal toilets, with Lorraine Kelly being the only star reportedly having a private restroom within her dressing room, though even that is said to be shared with guests.
An insider claimed that Christine Lampard was recently forced to change in a meeting room and that the lift in the building has experienced breakdowns. ITV stated in response that its daytime shows have been at the new "state-of-the-art multi-storey studios for over a month now and have adapted to the new surroundings successfully," adding that the new space and look are associated with an increase in audience share and digital output, with a "positive vibe across all three of the shows."