Loose Women Panic: ITV Stars Admit ‘EVERYONE’ Fears Being AXED Amid Ruthless Budget CUTS – Here’s what’s really happening – and why even the biggest names are worried.

Linda Robson has revealed that “everyone” at ITV is “worried” about being made redundant following the broadcaster’s sweeping budget reductions. The network confirmed in May that it would be slashing more than 220 positions, whilst also cutting Loose Women’s on-air schedule to 30 weeks rather than 52 weeks from 2026, with Lorraine similarly moving to a 30-week “seasonal basis”.

Linda – who first appeared on Loose Women as a guest panellist in 2003 before securing a permanent position in 2012 – reveals that everyone is “rallying together” and “trying to stay positive and hope for the best”. The 67-year-old star told The Mirror: “It’s a shame people are losing their jobs. We’re all like a family. We’ve been together through births, marriages, and deaths. It’s been very hard.

“Everyone’s worried. We’re just trying to stay positive and hope for the best. But hopefully it’s not going to be as bad as it already is [feared].”

With Loose Women scheduled to broadcast for 30 weeks rather than 52 weeks from 2026, Linda is “praying” the programme won’t be axed completely.

Reports suggest that Loose Women will no longer feature A-list celebrities in the studio, alongside scrapping the live studio audience, when the financial restrictions take effect next year. Linda concluded: “It will be very sad if we can’t have guests.”

On Tuesday, Linda’s colleague on Loose Women, Janet Street-Porter, 78, insisted there are “no plans” for ITV to remove older panellists from the ITV1 lunchtime chat programme because the “audience totally relate to us” rather than the younger personalities, including influencer GK Barry, 25, and Love Island star-turned-documentary maker Olivia Attwood, 34.

Janet – who works as a freelancer, like the other Loose Women panellists, meaning they could face dismissal at any time – told the new issue of Bella magazine: “There are no plans to get rid of the older women, despite what some people have said!

“In fact, the reverse is true. ITV actually put out a statement saying we are the valued members of the show because the audience totally relate to us.

“I think Loose Women has become a programme that’s trusted by a lot of women because we talk about the issues that they are concerned about – whether it’s female health, domestic violence or how politicians don’t really understand working women.”