Loose Women viewers are fuming after the series has been cancelled for the rest of the week to make way for the horse racing.
Presenter Ruth Langsford announced the schedule change at the end of Monday’s episode to groans from the studio audience and complaints on social media as fans demanded coverage of the Cheltenham races be shifted to another ITV channel.
She said: “That’s it for today and for the rest of the week I’m afraid, because we are off air because of ITV’s coverage of the horse racing at Cheltenham.”
Don’t miss out: Three steps to ensure you see all ED!’s latest news on Facebook
Reassuring viewers the panel show would be back on air as normal next week, she continued: “We will be back next Monday, that’s a week away!
“But have a great week and we will see you same time next Monday.”
On Twitter, disappointed viewers described the decision to give Loose Women the push in favour of the annual horse racing festival as “madness”.
And one devotee suggested she would be lost with her afternoon fix of chat with the likes of Coleen Nolan and Stacey Solomon.
@loosewomen SO VERY disappointed that Loose Women will not be shown on ITV2 while the racing is on for the rest of the week !
— susan bennett (@suemary) March 12, 2018
@loosewomen what the hec are we supposed to do for the rest of the week without our loose women , who the hec wants to watch horse racing. Look forward to lose women. 💖
— PaulineMaddock (@Paulinemaddock) March 12, 2018
Several viewers could not understand why another of ITV’s channels wasn’t dedicated to horse racing coverage, leaving them to enjoy Loose Women undisturbed.
I am not happy either Scott. If they can put darts and snooker on ITV4 then surely ITV can put the ITV racing on ITV4 so that programmes like Loose Women can still be watched
— Louisa Thomas (@louisa1976) March 13, 2018
No Loose Women for the rest of the week 😱 seriously @ITV you have enough other channels to put bloody horse racing on 😡
— Jane Mobbs (@Janemobbs) March 12, 2018
Why can’t ITV use one of the other 3 ITV shows I’m going to say it. ……… use women who are at home don’t want to watch HORSE RACING @ITV
— Alison Bromage (@AlisonBromage) March 13, 2018
Why can’t @loosewomen be aired on itv 2 this week if the racing is more important for Itv as has been done in the past for example when the budget was on LW was on Itv 2. It’s bad enough when the soaps are rescheduled due to football but at least they are not taken off completely
— michael (@ammflyer) March 12, 2018
Viewer @ammflyer – who added he had complained about the schedule change via email – also questioned whether as many people would be watching Cheltenham as usually tune in for Loose Women.
It’s madness and very annoying. Wonder how many viewers will watch the racing over 4 days compared to LW viewers ! There is no excuse these days not to have a separate sports channel as every tv in this country has more than 3 channels regardless if you pay or not !
— michael (@ammflyer) March 12, 2018
But not everybody was up in arms at losing out on Loose Women for a few days.
One viewer joked she had never been so glad to receive such a horsey blessing.
No @loosewomen for the rest of the week? Sounds like a blessing to me. Never have I been so glad for horse racing 😂
— Elise John (@kentgirlie) March 12, 2018
And another Twitter user replied to another viewer grumbling about the disruption to ‘normal TV’ by suggesting they should turn off and go for a walk if daytime programming is so important to them.
If you’re really sitting down on an afternoon to Loose Women, and two shocking quiz shows (Tenable and Tipping Point 😳) then ya want to switch ya telly off and go for a walk anyway. Or watch Cheltenham next week 👍
— Hector Protector (@nickmordinisgod) March 7, 2018
What will the reaction on social media be like when confused Loose Women viewers who may have missed Ruth’s announcement turn on expecting the show every day this week?
We’re guessing ‘slightly more forthright’ than the panellists often are themselves…
Read more: Facebook is changing!
Loose Women will return to ITV, next Monday (March 18) as 12.30pm. ITV Racing Live starts at 1pm on ITV from today until Friday.
Do you think it is right other programming gets bumped for the horse racing? Head on over to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix to have your say.