BBC Show To Challenge ITV’s ‘This Morning’

THE fight for domination of the UK’s daytime TV audience just got more intense, with an announcement from the BBC.

Can the BBC’s Morning Live outshine ITV’s longstanding favourite, This Morning? The BBC is gearing up for a formidable daytime TV contest, writes The Sun.

On Monday, December 4, the BBC announced a revamp of its morning show, Morning Live, aiming to rival ITV’s This Morning.

The BBC celebrated the news on Facebook: EXCITING NEWS! From January 2nd 2024, Morning Live will be on for an extra 30 MINUTES, at a brand new start time of 9:30 to 10:45 every weekday on BBC One!

‘We have heard your requests for us to be on for longer and we CANNOT wait to give you more every day!!’

Comments from fans posted their responses: ‘Brilliant news, excellent show and far and ahead of This Morning. Morning Live is the best!’ said one. Another post read: ‘Brilliant news. This is the best morning show on TV handsdown.’

This strategic move follows the departure of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby from ITV’s show, which has reportedly been experiencing fluctuating viewing figures.

A Shift In UK Daytime TV

Morning Live is enhancing its appeal by introducing a high-profile team including Gethin Jones, Kym Marsh, Sara Cox, and Kimberley Walsh.

From the New Year, the show will expand from 45 minutes to 75 minutes, directly overlapping with This Morning’s schedule. The new timing is a tactical decision to capture more viewers.

‘The Beeb are really exploiting This Morning’s ongoing woes and offering something that is a genuine ­alternative,’ said a source from TV broadcasting.

Striving For Dominance

BBC’s Morning Live, though only three years old, has been steadily gaining traction with around 1.1 million daily viewers. The latest line-up includes Rav Wilding, Gaby Roslin, Michelle Ackerley, and Helen Skelton.

This Morning, on the other hand, has seen its audience dwindle to around 800,000 daily viewers from a peak of 1.4 million in early 2021.

Morning Live’s content strategy includes tackling consumer issues, such as inaccurate calorie labelling and unfair pricing practices, which has resonated with viewers.

ITV’s This Morning, however, is undergoing a phase of uncertainty with frequent changes in its hosting team and a decline in viewer numbers. The show is expected to undergo significant changes to revive its viewer base.

With both programmes vying for daytime TV supremacy, it remains to be seen which will emerge as the audience’s favourite.