Experts fear the end of daytime TV could be on the horizon after a slew of popular shows have been axed amid a battle for viewers and falling revenues.
Streaming platforms, an ever-increasing number of channels and the popularity of video-based social media sites such as TikTok are all to blame for lower audience figures, as consumers choose to swap live TV for on-demand services.
High-profile programmes to have received the axe in recent months include Neighbours, Doctors and Steph’s Packed Lunch.
Meanwhile the changing fortune of ITV’s flagship daytime programme This Morning has left many viewers far from convinced, after both Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby left for good.
Now experts have warned that channels such as ITV, BBC and Channel 4 are simply not doing enough to keep audiences interested.
The changing fortune of ITV ‘s flagship daytime programme This Morning has left many viewers far from convinced, after both Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby left for good
Doctors was recently scrapped by the BBC after 23 years, with the corporation citing cost issues
TV and showbiz commentator Johnny Seifert, who also hosts the Secure The Insecure podcast, said: ‘People are watching less daytime TV because we now have streaming sites and can create our own schedules. We can do what we want.
‘For example, Eastenders goes live every day at 6am on iPlayer, so if they’re busy in the evening people will just watch it at another time. Married at First Sight is now so long and personally I don’t want to sit through all the adverts, so I’ll catch up with it the next day.
‘We all want background entertainment so that we don’t feel alone and before we only had daytime shows, but now we can watch whatever we want on sites like Netflix.’
He continued: ‘Shows like This Morning have seen lower viewing figures because there’s nothing that makes you go, I need to watch this.
‘Everything now is quite safe and it’s the same debate we’ve heard a thousand times before. With working from home, we are now shifting our evening TV schedules to the daytime.’
Mr Seifert also pointed to the rise of social media sites such as TikTok, which broadcast the best moments from otherwise long daytime TV programmes in short clips.
It comes after the BBC cancelled daytime drama Doctors late last year following a 23-year run due to ‘funding challenges’.
Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4, hosted by former BBC Breakfast presenter Steph McGovern, ended in December after two years
Channel 5 has stopped showing episodes of Australian soap Neighbours after years of it being a central draw for viewers
But yesterday it announced the return of three new antiques series: The Travelling Auctioneers, Antiques Road Trip, and Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.
The broadcaster has also seen success with its new daytime current affairs programme BBC Morning Live, which overlaps with both This Morning and Lorraine.
In February 2022, Channel 5 announced it would be dropping long-running Australian soap Neighbours from its scheduling.
Newer programmes have also been axed, with Steph’s Packed Lunch being taken off screens in December. Channel 4 scrapped the show, hosted by former BBC Breakfast presenter Steph McGovern, after just two years on air.
Possibly the most well-known daytime TV show This Morning shows no sign of taking such drastic measures, but has had challenging fortunes in recent years.
Phillip Schofield was taken off air after it emerged he had previously had an affair with a much younger male colleague at the show.
Then in October, Holly Willoughby quit the show for good after a man was arrested by police as part of an investigation into an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her.
Amid the Schofield scandal, ITV bosses were forced to take action as ratings dropped to well under a million, down from an average of 1.3 million tuning in to watch Holly and Phil in 2022.
After a rocky few months, the pair’s replacement, Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, began presenting shows from Monday to Thursday, with Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary taking the sofa on Fridays.
Their first episode drew in an average viewership of 806,000 people and a peak of one million – which was sure to have been a relief to staff at the channel.
But it’s been reported that daily viewer figures have dipped since then.
ITV told the Sun the programme reached an average of 4.2 million viewers a week in April alone, the highest total so far this year.
Jan Kiley, from charity Dogs For Autism, told MailOnline the show is still reaching people of all ages – and this is sure to be helped by the regular appearance of puppy Buddy (pictured), who is training as a service dog
Buddy is recognised around the country for his antics on the show by people of all ages, Ms Kiley said
Despite a rocky few months, there’s no sign that This Morning is going anywhere anytime soon.
Jan Kiley, from charity Dogs For Autism, told MailOnline the show is still reaching people of all ages.
She was today accompanying assistance dog-in-training Buddy, who has fast become a hit with his weekly visits to the This Morning sofa.
The programme is following his journey to train as a fully-qualified service dog as the charity raises funds to help as many people as possible.
‘Everyone loves Buddy,’ she said. ‘Everywhere we go we have people recognising him and asking for pictures. I go to a gym and there’s a lot of older people there and they love it too.
‘When he walks in we just take the lead off now because he knows where he’s going. He’s a bit cheeky and he pinched a sock this morning and was carrying that around!
‘Many years ago when I was a young mum I would put This Morning on in the background, it gave structure to my day. And people are still watching now.’
But psychotherapist Kamalyn Kaur also predicted the trend of viewers moving away from traditional daytime TV programmes would continue.
‘·Streaming services have allowed people to get into the mindset of “mobile viewing”,’ she said.
‘People are often viewing shows through mobiles or iPad during commutes, in coffee shops, or even standing at the bus stop! Sitting in front of the TV to watch something is not as common anymore.
‘The culture has allowed people to get into the habit of uninterrupted viewing without worrying about adverts or breaks [as is the case on live TV].’
An ITV spokesman said: ‘As a broadcaster and streamer, ITV has a range of programming in its daytime schedules. This Morning reached an average 4.2 million viewers a week in April alone, its highest so far in 2024. In 2023, This Morning was one of the most-streamed shows on ITVX.
‘Like all media, This Morning has expanded into the digital sphere with record-breaking results.
‘This Morning remains Britain’s most talked-about and influential daytime TV show and has never had a better connection with its viewers, with just under 160 million video views of This Morning content and it reached 63 million unique social media accounts in April.’
