Ruth Langsford had some bad news for loyal Loose Women viewers on Tuesday, announcing that the show had been cut short by half an hour. And, it has now been confirmed that the lunchtime programme will only air for half an hour for the rest of the week as well, as the broadcaster makes significant changes to its schedule.
Ex This Morning presenter Ruth was headed up the Loose Women panel for the second day in a row, as she was joined by colleagues Coleen Nolan, Janet Street-Porter and Frankie Bridge. ITV viewers got their first look at the panel when Ruth spoke to This Morning stars Holly Willoughby and Gino D'ACampo half an hour earlier, as Gino replaced the 'missing' Dermot O'Leary.
But it wasn't until cameras started rolling at 12.30pm, that Loose Women fans discovered that they wouldn't be getting much of a show, as Ruth explained: "We're going to keep it short and sweet today, just a 30 minute show. So yeah we've got a lot to pack in!"
READ MORE: Ruth Langsford takes Loose Women 'action' ITV show takes chaotic turn
It wasn't until credits were about to roll at the end of the show that Ruth revealed that the reason for Loose Women being cut short was ITV's coverage of the first day of Royal Ascot. That got going at 1.30pm, with the news shunted forward half an hour in the schedule to make room for it.
And Loose Women isn't the only TV show to be affected by the changes made by ITV to focus on the horse racing. Dickinson's Real Deal,. Tenable, Tipping Point and The Chase have all been axed in their entirety for the rest of the week, as fans miss out on their daily diose of the popular programmes.
