**ITV Announces Major Changes to 2026 Daytime Television Schedule**
ITV has revealed a significant shift in its daytime television lineup set to commence in January 2026, with new timings and production arrangements for some of its flagship programmes. Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning, and Loose Women are all set to see changes as the network adapts its schedule for the future.
From the start of 2026, Good Morning Britain will be extended by 30 minutes each morning, taking its new broadcast window from 6am right through until 9:30am. Notably, production responsibilities for the popular programme will transfer from ITV Studios to ITV News at ITN, a noteworthy transition in the show’s history. This transformation is said to reflect ITV’s ambition to further strengthen its news and current affairs output.
In contrast, Lorraine, fronted by long-time host Lorraine Kelly, is due to see its daily slot cut back to 30 minutes for 30 weeks out of the year. On those occasions when Lorraine is off air, Good Morning Britain will be extended yet again, finishing at 10am rather than 9:30am. ITV’s intention is to streamline the transition between morning content and maintain a consistent flow of news and lifestyle programming for viewers.
ITV Studios will retain production of other well-loved shows such as This Morning and Loose Women, but both will relocate to a new central London facility. This move forms part of a broader reshuffling of ITV’s daytime operation. This Morning, currently helmed by Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, will continue in its existing 10am to 12:30pm weekday slot, followed by Loose Women from 12:30pm to 1:30pm.
Kevin Lygo, ITV’s Managing Director for Media and Entertainment, commented on the changes, underscoring that adapting scheduling and consolidating production is crucial for ongoing success. He highlighted, “Daytime is a really important part of what we do, and these scheduling and production changes will enable us to continue to deliver a schedule providing viewers with the news, debate and discussion they love from the presenters they know and trust, as well as generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres.”
Lygo further explained that the shift will bring ITV’s news operations closer together and broaden the spectrum of news provided. “These changes also allow us to consolidate our news operations and expand our national, international and regional news output and to build upon our proud history of trusted journalism at a time when our viewers need accurate, unbiased news coverage more than ever,” he stated.
Acknowledging the impact on staff, Lygo assured that ITV would work closely with ITV Studios and ITN to manage the changes. He emphasised efforts would be made to support all affected teams during the transition, recognising the pivotal role played by off-screen employees in ITV’s long-standing tradition of daytime broadcasting.
Earlier this year, ITV also announced a shake-up of its soap opera schedule. From January 2026, Coronation Street and Emmerdale will be broadcast in half-hour episodes, creating a new “soaps power hour” on weekdays, with Emmerdale airing at 8pm and Coronation Street at 8:30pm. This is a significant departure from their previous longer-form episodes and reflects ITV’s continued drive to refresh its programme offerings.
Looking ahead, the changes to ITV’s daytime and evening schedules demonstrate the network’s enduring commitment to evolving with the needs and preferences of its audience. As ITV approaches its eighth decade, these adjustments aim to secure its position at the forefront of UK broadcasting, balancing tradition with innovation.