Good Morning Britain 'scraps' major part of daytime show in ITV budget cuts

Good Morning Britain is set to shut down its US bureau completely for the first time in its 11-year history as part of ITV's Daytime programming cuts. The huge change will leave the flagship morning show without a dedicated American reporting presence which will spark a major shift in how international news is covered on the show. The bureau, which is currently being led by correspondent Noel Phillips from New York, has served as GMB's base for US stories.

However, with the restructure, reports from across the pond will likely be sourced from ITV's main new division ITN rather than a dedicated team stateside. The decision has sparked backlash internally as a source close to the production criticised the closure.

They told press at the time: "They have completely axed their American operation, with the intensity of the news cycle in the US as it is, especially now, with a president who is making headlines daily. How does that make any sense?"

Branding the move "a brazen pivot away from journalism", the insider went on: "These cuts are a disaster in the making. The way they have gone about all of this is mess and it is devastating for us all.

"Why are they trying to reinvent the 'news' instead of finding better ways to reach audiences? It is a shame they are being so shortsighted and are losing genuine, good quality people."

When approached for a comment, an ITV spokesperson addressed the situation in a short statement. It read: "ITV is currently in consultation over proposed changes and no final decisions have been made on redundancies.

"ITV News has a significant presence across North America and its award-winning bureau will continue to provide GMB viewers with trusted international news."

The removal of the US team forms part of a widespread cost-cutting operation across ITV's daytime schedule in an effort to save £50million. Around 220 jobs are expected to be cut from Good Morning Britain, This Morning, Loose Women, and Lorraine.

As part of the shake-up in 2026, Lorraine will be reduced to a 30-minute slot and both Lorraine and Loose Women will now only air for 30 weeks a year.

Meanwhile, Good Morning Britain is being extended by an additional 30 minutes each morning, a move ITV hopes will streamline production and distribute resouces more efficiently.

Although ITV maintains that its award-winning international news coverage will continue without disruption, critics feat that closing the US bureau could mark a troubling step away from in-depth journalism in favour of saving money, potentially weakening the network's ability to cover US news.