Josie Gibson believes TV stars will 'be alright' amidst budget cuts
Josie Gibson thinks all the people who work in the TV industry "will be alright" amid uncertainties.
Josie Gibson thinks "everyone" working in the TV industry "will be alright" amid a period of cuts.
It is unclear if the host of ITV's This Morning was referencing her employer's budget cuts to its daytime programmes that will come into force in 2026, and cause over 220 jobs to be axed.
Josie, 40, told the latest issue of New! magazine: "There's a saying that 'uncertainty can be the spice of life,' but that doesn't apply when there are changes that potentially put people's jobs at risk.
"There are so many talented people in this industry, so I know everyone will be alright at the end of it all."
The TV presenter thinks the "demand" for new programmes will bring new opportunities for people working in the TV industry.
Josie continued: "It's important to remember, with everything on the line, that there's more demand for content and more content being created than ever.
"I want everyone to do well."
In May, ITV announced that from 2026, over 220 jobs will be axed.
The broadcaster also revealed the on-air time for Loose Women will be reduced to 30 weeks instead of 52 weeks, and Lorraine will operate on a 30-week "seasonal basis".
Addressing the budget cuts at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Kevin Lygo - Managing Director of Media and Entertainment at ITV - revealed the broadcaster will make its daytime shows look the same next year, but he said it will be "challenging".
Lygo also does not think that the golden days of daytime TV are over at the broadcaster, but stressed there would be changes to match the evolving way people consume entertainment.
He said: "As a commercial broadcast, you earn most of your money with big audiences in peak time.
"That is what advertisers want, and the cost of those has gone up and up and up. Those are the things that drive us commercially.
"Those morning shows have been on forever, and they are brilliant, and they are watched, and they are seven hours of TV a day, but they do cost a great deal of money.
"So we thought, 'Is there a way of keeping those long-standing brands on air and keeping the familiar faces on that give comfort to people?'
"So the editorial brief was if you have a lot less money, which you will do from January, to try to make it so the audience isn’t shocked.
"They should look more or less the same, they are less funded, so that will be challenging to the producers.
"But, unfortunately, that means people doing a perfectly good job will lose their jobs because we need fewer people making them.”
