‘Loose Women’ have filmed without a studio audience for the first time, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
ITV bosses responded to the ongoing outbreak and decided to broadcast the daytime panel show from an empty studio for the first time today (16.03.20), with ticket site SRO Audiences claiming there is no time frame for how long this measure will last.
Show anchor Andrea McLean said on today’s episode: "Our live studio audience are not here. It’s a precautionary measure in light of coronavirus.
"Best rest assured, we are still here.
"It does feel very strange."
A statement online read: "We do not know when audiences will return to the show.
"But the gates on which the show will take place are still on the website and you may add yourself to the waiting list so that, if audiences are admitted back to the show on that date, we can contact you to let you know."
Many programmes have been cancelled or postponed altogether in light of the global outbreak.
However, ‘Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway’ went ahead as planned over the weekend with fans packed into its studio.
A spokesperson for the show explained: "Our priority is the well-being and safety of all our people and everyone who works with us on our shows and across our business.
"We are in a developing and dynamic situation so we’re complying with the guidance from Public Health England and the World Health Organisation to make sure we keep everyone as safe and secure as possible.
"All of our audience-handling agencies are sharing the updated advice from the NHS site with audiences prior to attending our shows and we continue to work with them to update advice as and when it changes."
Loose Women suspends live audience amid coronavirus pandemic
