Loose Women

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Loose Women
Image:Loosewomenlogo.jpg
Format	Talk Show
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	11
Production
Producer(s)	ITV Productions
Running time	60 minutes (including adverts)
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV
Picture format	16:9 widescreen
Original run	6 September 1999 – Present

Loose Women is an ITV afternoon programme which began in 1999, in which a panel of four women talk about topical issues and interview celebrity guests before a studio audience. The series airs five days a week, although only three shows (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday) are broadcast live. Two shows (Wednesday and Friday) are recorded in the evening and broadcast 'as live' in the lunchtime slot.

When it began, the series was based in London. After the second series in 2000, the show moved to a Manchester studio and was briefly re-branded as Live Talk. In 2002, Loose Women returned for a third run and by the fourth series a year later, it had moved to a studio in Norwich. For series six in 2004, the show returned to ITV's London Studios where it has remained since in Studio 3, although since the return the set has been updated three times. The initial set was a green desk and walls with the backdrop of the River Thames, the second had a more homely, classy and welcoming feel and the latest one is a modern blue and silver set, complete with fake skylight windows and Hollywood style entrance for celebrities.

The show enjoys high viewing figures in its daytime slot, and has gained a cult following, particularly among students.

The show can be compared to the American ABC daytime production, The View which follows a similar format.

On Monday September 3 2007, the show won the TV Quick and TV Choice award for 'Best Daytime Show'. This award is voted for by TV Quick and TV Choice Readers.

1 Leading host
2 Panel
3 Current panellists
4 Recurring panellists
5 Past panellists
6 Loose @ 5.30!
7 Controversies
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Leading host

Although all four women are classed as presenters in the credits, one acts as the main anchor, linking to breaks and competitions and addressing the television audience. Kaye Adams filled this role for the first ten series until the end of 2006, when she left to go on maternity leave. For most of Kaye's maternity leave, fellow panellist Jackie Brambles filled the role as a guest host, although she herself had time off due to maternity leave. As time went on, it was revealed that Kaye was enjoying life spending time with her family and was undecided as to her return. Adams was still expected to return for a new series, but in August 2007 she confirmed in her newspaper column that after 7 years, she decided that she wanted to move on to other projects and would not be returning. Kaye Adams did comment on how she'd miss all of her fellow presenters and friends greatly.^[1] During Kaye and Jackie's maternity leave, several ladies took turns to fill the anchor's seat, including former panellists Carole Malone and Ruth Langsford and current panellists Carol McGiffin and Denise Welch. The job is now permanently shared by Jackie Brambles and Andrea McLean.

[edit] Panel

For each run, new ladies are introduced onto the panel. Mostly, they stay for only one or two series but if they particularly connect with the audience and establish a strong rapport with the other panellists, they become part of the core team of presenters.

New panellists are often selected after being interviewed as a guest on the show. Some examples of this practice include Coleen Nolan, Jane McDonald, Lynda Bellingham, Suzanne Shaw, Zoe Tyler, Andrea McLean, Lorna Luft, Jenni Trent Hughes, Kym Ryder, Michelle Gayle, Claire Sweeney and Sheree Murphy.

Former panellists often return to the show as a guest to talk about their subsequent projects. Those who have done so include Lucy-Jo Hudson, Kym Ryder, Lorna Luft, Jane Moore, Lesley Garrett, Terri Dwyer, Lisa Rogers, Nina Wadia and Rebecca Wheatley.

Ladies are sometimes invited to sit on the panel for a single show, when not enough of the regular team are available to appear. Such one-time panellists include Linda Robson, Wendi Peters, Amanda Barrie, Sharon Marshall, Susie Amy, Toyah Willcox, Jenny Eclair and Tamara Beckwith.

[edit] Current panellists

The Loose Women line-up in 2007 includes:

Leading Host: Jackie Brambles (2005-)
Leading Host: Andrea McLean (2007-)
Coleen Nolan (2000, 2004-)
Sherrie Hewson (2003-)
Carol McGiffin (2003-)
Jane McDonald (2004-)
Denise Welch (2005-)
Lynda Bellingham (2007-)

[edit] Recurring panellists

These panellists appear less frequently than the regular panellists.

Jo Bunting (2006-)
Sheree Murphy (2006-)
Zoe Tyler (2007-)
Jennifer Ellison (2007-)

[edit] Past panellists

Leading Host: Kaye Adams (1999-2006)

Bridget Rowe (1999)
Nadia Sawalha (1999-2001, 2002)
Jane Moore (1999-2000, 2002)
Trish Adudu (1999-2000)
Pattie Coldwell (1999-2000)
Philippa Kennedy (1999-2000)
Denise Black (2000-2001,2003)
Karren Brady (2000-2001)
Sally Gunnell (2000-2001)
Julie Hesmondhalgh (2000-2001)
Kathryn Apanowicz (2000)
Lorraine Kelly (2000)
Helen Adams (2003)
Jeni Barnett (2005)
Lauren Booth (2001)
Rhona Cameron (2005)
Sarah Cawood (2003)
Josie D'Arby (2004)
Anne Diamond (2000)
Terri Dwyer (2003-2006)
Kate Garraway (2003, 2004, 2006)
Lesley Garrett (2006)
Michelle Gayle (2007)
Trisha Goddard (2003)
Christine Hamilton (2004)
Alison Hammond (2006)
Lucy-Jo Hudson (2005)
Jenni Trent Hughes (2004)
Kim Hughes (2001)
Sue Jenkins (2006)
Kerry Katona (2003-2004)
Amy Lamé (2004)
Ruth Langsford (1999-2000, 2002, 2006, 2007)
Gabby Logan (2002)
Lorna Luft (2004)
Linda Lusardi (2002)
Carole Malone (2005, 2007)
Jayne Middlemiss (2003)
Gigi Morley (2003)
Julie Peasgood (2001)
Eve Pollard (2003)
Jenny Powell (2004-2005)
Fiona Phillips (2004, 2005)
Lisa Rogers (2003)
Kym Ryder (2005)
Jacey Sallés (2003)
Nina Sebastiane (2003)
Suzanne Shaw (2007)
Claire Sweeney (2003-2005)
Melanie Sykes (2005)
Emily Symons (2000)
Gillian Taylforth (2000, 2006)
Nina Wadia (2005-2006)
Rebecca Wheatley (2002)

[edit] Loose @ 5.30!

Loose @ 5.30! aired at 5.30pm on ITV for two weeks from Monday, 29th May 2006. This teatime version of Loose Women was a slight twist on the original format because the panel was composed of both men and women for the first time.

Kaye Adams and Ted Robbins anchored each show with two more panellists, sometimes both female but usually another male and female. The other panellists included Sherrie Hewson, Jane McDonald, Carol McGiffin, Coleen Nolan and Denise Welch from the Loose Women team and former Loose Women guests Jason Gardiner and Jeff Brazier.

The spin-off did not prove popular and Loose Women was moved back to its original lunchtime slot and is currently being shown weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV.

[edit] Controversies

In 2004, panelist Jenni Trent Hughes made headlines in the UK after she confessed that she had secretly had an orgasm live on air, while Loose Women was being broadcast. She said: "You learn how to do it in your head. I once did it sitting here. With my hands up. It was because of a guest". Hughes then revealed that it was caused by her attraction to guest, Martin Shaw.^[2]

In 2005, guest Dame Eileen Atkins — who was 70 at the time — revealed on Loose Women that a "stunningly gorgeous big film star" spent nearly three hours propositioning her for "sex with no strings".^[3] The "star" was later revealed to be actor Colin Farrell, whom Atkins had acted alongside in the film, Ask The Dust. Atkins claimed she was tempted, but turned him down because he is 42 years her junior.^[4]