Good Morning Britain has removed a major section for the first time in the show’s history as ITV announce further budget cuts
Good Morning Britain has removed a major section (Image: ITV)
Good Morning Britain is set to close its US bureau for the first time in its 11-year history amid ITV’s Daytime programming cuts, leaving the show without a dedicated American reporting team.
This significant move will alter how international news is delivered on the flagship morning programme. Currently led by Noel Phillips in New York, the bureau has been pivotal for covering stateside stories for GMB.
The restructuring means that future US reports are expected to come from ITV’s main news division, ITN, rather than an in-house team in America. The decision has caused discontent within the ranks, with a source involved with the production voicing their disapproval.
Speaking to the media, they said: “They have completely axed their American operation, with the intensity of the news cycle in the US as it is, especially now, with a president who is making headlines daily. How does that make any sense?”
The breakfast show is set to close its US bureau for the first time in its 11-years history (Image: ITV)
Describing the decision as “a brazen pivot away from journalism”, the source continued: “These cuts are a disaster in the making. The way they have gone about all of this is mess and it is devastating for us all.”
The insider also questioned the strategy behind the changes: “Why are they trying to reinvent the ‘news’ instead of finding better ways to reach audiences? It is a shame they are being so shortsighted and are losing genuine, good quality people.”
An ITV spokesperson issued a succinct response regarding the alterations: “ITV is currently in consultation over proposed changes and no final decisions have been made on redundancies.
“ITV News has a significant presence across North America and its award-winning bureau will continue to provide GMB viewers with trusted international news.”
Lorraine and Loose Women have also faced a series of cuts which will be enforced in 2025 (Image: ITV)
The axing of the US team is just one element of an extensive cost-reduction drive at ITV’s daytime programmes aimed at trimming costs by £50million. An estimated 220 positions may be slashed from Good Morning Britain, This Morning, Loose Women, and Lorraine, reports the Express.
In the 2026 revamp, the duration of Lorraine will be halved to a 30-minute episode and both Lorraine and Loose Women will broadcast only for 30 weeks of the year.
Concurrently, Good Morning Britain is set to expand by an extra half-hour each day, which ITV believes will enable more efficient production and resource allocation.
Whilst ITV asserts that its acclaimed global news service will remain uninterrupted, there are concerns among critics that shutting down the US office is a concerning move away from comprehensive journalism, driven by cost-saving measures that could diminish the network’s capability to report on American affairs.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX