Loose Women has gone from reporting on reality TV to drowning in the dregs of it.
Actually I have a suspicion that the gossipy/celeb /schlocky ‘human interest’ stuff the production crew of Loose Women serve up to the plebs at home is not what they would watch themselves at all. It feels like a cynical exercise in providing easily digested pap to an imagined audience of surrendered housewives, zonked-out new mums and stagnating old biddies.
But the Loose Women team could easily up their game and choose more challenging topics for debate - and scarcely anyone would throw up their hands and cry ‘too taxing on the brain!’ I think they really are underestimating their viewers – and potential viewers.
To provide something more stimulating would, however, involve changing the line up of women who front the show. (Yes, Kaye Adams could stay but some of the others wouldn’t adapt well.)
The American version of Loose Women -The View - which manages to address some serious issues as well as providing a little froth and frivolity, have got Sunny Hostin (lawyer, commentator), Meghan McCain (columnist, political pundit), Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar (actresses/comediennes) as the main panellists.
So, taking that line up as inspiration, for my revamped Loose Women I’m going to go for Caroline Lucas in the political pundit position, Amal Clooney as the resident legal eagle and Jo Brand and Joanna Lumley in the comedienne slots.
I don’t suppose they would want the gig - but if they did I’d watch.
I’d also like to see debates involving blue stockings like Susan Greenfield, Susan Blackmore and Mary Beard. But I guess some might say that would be going from lowbrow straight through highbrow into receding hairline territory!