ITV cancels five shows for Cheltenham Festival coverage

ITV has announced a significant schedule shake-up due to the Cheltenham Festival, resulting in the cancellation of five regular programs, including the popular daytime show Loose Women. The festival, which runs from March 11 to March 14, attracts around 250,000 attendees and requires extensive coverage, pushing shows like Gardening Club and Tipping Point off the air. Loose Women will not return until March 19, following its last episode where cast members celebrated Coleen Nolan's birthday. This Morning will also see its slot reduced by 15 minutes to accommodate the festival coverage, which starts daily at 12:45 PM. Other affected shows include re-runs of Magnum P.I., which have been completely cut from the schedule. ITV plans to resume its regular programming after the conclusion of the festival.