ITV suspends more key shows
ITV has announced the suspension of production on Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Loose Women and Lorraine due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
As the soaps record several weeks in advance ITV said it has enough episodes in the can to enable transmission until early summer, as the scheduled number of episodes transmitted each week has been scaled back.
The statement read: “ITV has sadly taken the decision to suspend production of the soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale with effect from Monday 23 March 2020.
“We’ve been doing our best to carry on filming, whilst adhering to the Government’s latest health guidelines, to ensure we’ve episodes of both soaps airing on ITV until at least the early summer.
"However, the health and well-being of the production teams, actors, crew and their families is of paramount importance to us and we now feel that the time has come to stop filming.”
The Loose Women/Lorraine statement read: “Daytime has taken the decision to stop broadcasting Lorraine and Loose Women live from Monday 23rd March. This decision has been made to minimise the number of staff travelling in and out of our studios and working together on shift at any one time.
“We're focusing our efforts on providing to viewers the latest news on the rapidly changing situation which aims to offer some stability and continuity in all our lives whilst so many of us are at home right now.
“That’s why we have taken this tough decision to protect our GMB News programme in the morning and keep This Morning on air for as long as possible.”
