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Original poster

Loose women conspiracy

208 replies

Cantatopeatingthespicyones · 15/04/2026 12:37

Does anyone else find it a bit strange that they just disappeared off air and are still not back?
They say it’s due to budget cuts and stick on a load of game show repeats. It’s a P take, can’t believe we pay a tv licence for this

When are they back? Barely watching itv now

OP posts:
CarolinaLiar · 15/04/2026 15:13

What license? What conspiracy? 🥴

Loose Women is a bit of an embarrassing anachronism these days. I think they’re letting it dwindle and slowly limp off into deserved oblivion.

AntiqueBabyLoanSmurf · 15/04/2026 15:13

WhatAMarvelousTune · 15/04/2026 14:46

Yes but it’s nothing a 2 second google won’t solve, and it’s not complicated. You need a licence for live tv, or iPlayer. Not other catch up services.

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It's not complicated if you're online, internet savvy, reasonably intelligent, no learning disabilities, cognitive decline or anxiety and confident to ignore nasty letters pouring through your letterbox telling you that they'll take you to court if you don't pay.

Not everybody has those basic privileges that most of us do.

Bassetyate · 15/04/2026 15:12

I do have a mild female crush on Frankie Bridge but even that wouldn’t tempt me to tune in.

Chiaseedling · 15/04/2026 15:07

JacknDiane · 15/04/2026 13:03

I can't believe anyone watches loose women nevermind misses it

Well indeed …

Justbloodydoit · 15/04/2026 15:05

Lostin2046 · 15/04/2026 14:23

I thought Steph's packed lunch was awful too! There really aren't many good options for anyone who wants to watch TV during the day at all IMO.

Hasn't ITV launched a whole channel that just shows repeats of game shows all day? A big hit with my elderly FIL!

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Yes that's because part of the strategy to get people back to work, is making the daytime TV shite. I would have thought loose women was making a solid contribution on that basis, but hey ho.

Andepeda · 15/04/2026 15:05

Lorraine's off as well, happy days. Not permanently though. 😒

GMB is in a smaller studio, some presenters are doing two jobs etc.

Costcutting all round.

Hoardasurass · 15/04/2026 15:03

Cantatopeatingthespicyones · 15/04/2026 14:19

I don’t believe that, most people enjoy it

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Personally I can't stand it nor can anyone I know.
So whilst some people may enjoy it most clearly don't, otherwise they wouldn't be cutting the number of episodes which is a prelude to cancelling it completely if viewer numbers don't increase

lushposey · 15/04/2026 15:01

somanychristmaslights · 15/04/2026 13:57

Maybe it was taken off air as it’s so unbelievably shit.

This ⬆️
Can’t believe anyone would admit to watching that utter tripe, let alone be disappointed it’s off air.

FrontlistFarce · 15/04/2026 15:00

Most people enjoy it? In your survey of one?

Most people believe it's superficial, lowest common denominator drivel. That's why they're not watching it, which is why it has been pulled as ITV is dependent on advertising revenue, NOT the TV license.

22ztr · 15/04/2026 14:52

This is the best post I’ve seen on Mumsnet in a long time thank you 🙏

AntiqueBabyLoanSmurf · 15/04/2026 14:52

OonaStubbs · 15/04/2026 14:40

Surely it is a cheap programme to make. It's just women in a studio talking.

Studio productions cost far more than people often realise. It's way more involved than just focusing a camera on a few people sitting behind a desk.

Even with gameshows, the original recording costs a load - far more than the prize money, even the big jackpot ones. It's just that, once recorded, they can show them again and again and again for years and even decades, unlike a show discussing current affairs.

If anybody is familiar with the infamous 'Turkey Bob' episode of Family Fortunes (it's on YouTube!), Bob's wife was so mortified by his 'performance' that she offered then-producer William G Stewart £100 in return for not showing the episode. He refused, telling her that the cost of producing that episode alone had been £38,000 - and that was over 40 years ago!

MsPavlichenko · 15/04/2026 14:51

Cantatopeatingthespicyones · 15/04/2026 14:19

I don’t believe that, most people enjoy it

Show quote history

Again, ITV, and therefore Loose Women are not funded by the License fee.

OonaStubbs · 15/04/2026 14:51

There used to be good programmes on in the daytime. Dramas, movies, comedy, sports etc. What happened? Why is everything on TV nowadays just people talking?

Original poster
Cantatopeatingthespicyones · 15/04/2026 14:49

Well, I miss it

OP posts:
Bassetyate · 15/04/2026 14:48

This never happened before the small boats started arriving.

Clearly a distraction technique to get people riled up so they stop talking about asylum seekers using vaccines to poison our badgers.

WhatAMarvelousTune · 15/04/2026 14:46

AntiqueBabyLoanSmurf · 15/04/2026 14:41

Even on this thread, it's clear that there's widespread confusion about what a TV licence is and isn't needed for.

Plenty of people - probably most of them elderly and not online - will be paying for a TV licence that they 100% don't actually need; but the threatening and harassing letters will have scared them into paying anyway.

Yes but it’s nothing a 2 second google won’t solve, and it’s not complicated. You need a licence for live tv, or iPlayer. Not other catch up services.

ToKittyornottoKitty · 15/04/2026 14:45

ktopfwcv · 15/04/2026 14:42

It is not just for live TV.

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Correct, its for live TV, and BBC. So loose women on catch up is fine

Lostin2046 · 15/04/2026 14:44

ktopfwcv · 15/04/2026 14:42

It is not just for live TV.

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It only covers catch-up TV if you're watching iPlayer. You can watch catch-up on other channels without a licence. Seriously, just look it up.

ktopfwcv · 15/04/2026 14:42

ToKittyornottoKitty · 15/04/2026 14:40

You are wrong.

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It is not just for live TV.

ktopfwcv · 15/04/2026 14:42

AntiqueBabyLoanSmurf · 15/04/2026 14:37

You don't have to pay for a licence fee for any catchup TV apart from BBC iPlayer - but you obviously do still have to pay for your Internet connection and any data costs.

A lot of people who enjoy daytime TV are elderly, and they are the specific demographic which includes a lot of people who are either not online or are, but aren't fully savvy/comfortable about using it as freely as a digital-native younger person might be. If the only thing you ever want to watch is Countdown - at the regular time, as you're used to - you've still got to pay the BBC.

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Yes for BBC iplayer so not just live TV.

It really is a ridiculous concept and needs to disappear!

AntiqueBabyLoanSmurf · 15/04/2026 14:41

Even on this thread, it's clear that there's widespread confusion about what a TV licence is and isn't needed for.

Plenty of people - probably most of them elderly and not online - will be paying for a TV licence that they 100% don't actually need; but the threatening and harassing letters will have scared them into paying anyway.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 15/04/2026 14:41

OonaStubbs · 15/04/2026 14:40

Surely it is a cheap programme to make. It's just women in a studio talking.

Yeah but they were probably worried about the viewers’ IQ falling

ToKittyornottoKitty · 15/04/2026 14:40

ktopfwcv · 15/04/2026 14:39

Yes you do. You need a TV license to watch catch up TV.

Show quote history

You are wrong.

OonaStubbs · 15/04/2026 14:40

Surely it is a cheap programme to make. It's just women in a studio talking.

Lostin2046 · 15/04/2026 14:39

ktopfwcv · 15/04/2026 14:39

Yes you do. You need a TV license to watch catch up TV.

Show quote history

No, you don't unless it's on the BBC's platform.