Three of ITV’s daytime programmes, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women, were taken off the broadcaster’s Wednesday schedule after a power failure disrupted operations at its studio.
The disruption affected the station’s morning lineup, forcing ITV to replace the affected shows with previously recorded content and alternative programming, according to The Independent.
Television presenter Lorraine Kelly announced the cancellation of her programme in an Instagram video while travelling to work. She explained that an electricity outage at the studio had made it impossible to proceed with the day’s broadcast.
“Hello there,” she says. “I’m on my way to work, but there’s been a little bit of a hoo-ha. There’s a power outage at the studio so my show won’t be on today.”
Kelly, who normally presents Lorraine at 9.30am on weekdays, said she had been looking forward to interviewing Sharleen Spiteri of Scottish rock band Texas. She assured viewers that the conversation would be rearranged and that the programme was expected to return on Thursday.
Although Kelly initially indicated that technicians were working to restore power by around 11am, the disruption also affected This Morning and Loose Women. A compilation programme replaced This Morning, while Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals took the midday slot originally reserved for Loose Women.
ITV’s revised schedule listed the lunchtime game show for 12.30pm, followed by ITV Lunchtime News at 1pm. Regular programming was expected to resume from 2pm.
The incident comes amid wider discussions in the United Kingdom about electricity supply and the possibility of increased power interruptions linked to concerns over gas availability.
Lorraine has been part of ITV’s daytime television offering since 2010. The programme underwent significant changes last year when its broadcast duration was reduced from 60 minutes to 30 minutes as part of the broadcaster’s cost-cutting measures. Its annual transmission schedule was also reduced to 30 weeks.
Kelly initially described the changes as heartbreaking but later said she had adjusted to the new arrangement, explaining that the shorter schedule had created more time for other activities.
The presenter is expected to return to ITV at 9.30am on Thursday.
