Loose Women

For the film, see Loose Women (film).

Loose Women
Current logo of Loose Women from September 2011.
Format	Talk Show
Presented by	Andrea McLean Carol Vorderman
Starring	Denise Welch Carol McGiffin Sherrie Hewson Jenny Eclair Lynda Bellingham Jane McDonald Lisa Maxwell Janet Street-Porter Sally Lindsay (See full list)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	16
Production
Executive producer(s)	Sharon Powers
Producer(s)	Richard Stowe Andy Tippins Natasha Neeson
Editor(s)	Emily Humphries
Location(s)	The London Studios
Running time	60 minutes
Production company(s)	ITV Studios (2005–) Granada Television (1999–2002) Anglia Television (2002–05)
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV (ITV1/STV/UTV) (also ITV1 HD/STV HD/UTV HD)
Original run	6 September 1999 – present
External links
Website

Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip. Each series typically airs from the beginning of September of one year to the start of August of the next, taking a break over Christmas.

Due to a recent decline in ratings between January 2011 and June 2011, changes had been made to the show. Changes included a new lineup which saw the departure of anchor Kate Thornton and panellists Zoe Tyler and Coleen Nolan. Thornton and Tyler have been replaced by Carol Vorderman and Sally Lindsay, who started September 2011.

Panel

The panel comprises four women from various professions in the entertainment and journalism industries, including actresses, singers, authors, presenters, journalists and reporters. 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 and Nadia Sawalha were the original presenters, Sawalha left in 2002, after the birth of her first child and Adams held on to the role for the first ten series until the end of 2006, when she left to go on maternity leave. Adams was 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.

Former logo (2009–2011).

From 2007 to 2009, the anchor job was mainly shared by Jackie Brambles and Andrea McLean who each presented for half of each week, as well as covering for one another's leave. Following Brambles' departure in August 2009, Kate Thornton took over from her during the following month and continued to present the show in rotation with McLean until August 2011.

Following a relaunch in September 2011, the role of anchor is shared between McLean and new anchor Carol Vorderman who replaces Thornton. As from September 2011 McLean hosts the show on Monday and Wednesday and Vorderman on Tuesday and Thursday and they share alternate Friday shows. When one of the anchors is unable to host the show, usually the other anchor will cover.

The panellists also rotate throughout the week, with three of them appearing on each show. Lisa Maxwell usually sits next to the anchor, Carol McGiffin is usually found in the next seat along, whilst Jane McDonald sits at the far end of the panel. If these panellists do not appear their seats are usually filled by Sally Lindsay, Janet Street Porter, and Sherrie Hewson respectively. Denise Welch, Jenny Eclair and Lynda Bellingham move around to accommodate the other panellists.

Current panel

The current Loose Women panel from 16 January 2012 is:

Anchors

• Andrea McLean (2007—)
• Carol Vorderman (2010, 2011—)

Regular Panellists

• Denise Welch (2002, 2005—)
• Carol McGiffin (2003—)
• Sherrie Hewson (2003—)
• Jenny Eclair (2003, 2011—)
• Jane McDonald (2004–2010, 2011, 2012—)
• Lisa Maxwell (2009—)
• Janet Street Porter (2011—)

Returning Panellists

• Sally Lindsay (2011—)
• Lynda Bellingham (2007–2011, 2012—)

Former panellists

Panellist	Duration	Role
Helen Adams	2003	Panellist
Kaye Adams	1999–2006	Leading Anchor
Trish Adudu	1999–2000	Panellist
Rachel Agnew	2009	Panellist
Susie Amy	2003	Panellist
Toby Anstis	2011	Panellist
Melanie B	2009	Panellist
Jeni Barnett	2005	Panellist
Amanda Barrie	2003	Panellist
Tamara Beckwith	2003	Panellist
Cilla Black	2009	Guest Anchor	2010–2011	Panellist
Denise Black	2003	Panellist
Karren Brady	1999–2000	Panellist
Jackie Brambles	2005	Panellist	2006–2009	Leading Anchor
Fern Britton	2000	Panellist
Jo Bunting	2006–2008	Panellist
Emma Bunton	2008	Panellist
Danielle Bux	2009	Panellist
Beverley Callard	2010	Panellist
Rhona Cameron	2005	Panellist
Sarah Cawood	2003	Panellist
Sue Cleaver	2010	Panellist
Pattie Coldwell	1999–2000	Panellist
Michelle Collins	2010	Panellist
Josie D'Arby	2004	Panellist
Amanda Donohoe	2010	Panellist
Terri Dwyer	2003–2006	Panellist
Jennifer Ellison	2007	Panellist
Gaynor Faye	2010	Panellist
Kate Garraway	2003, 2004, 2006, 2009	Guest Anchor	2003, 2004	Panellist
Lesley Garrett	2006, 2009–2010	Panellist
Sheryl Gascoigne	2000	Panellist
Michelle Gayle	2007	Panellist
Trisha Goddard	2003	Panellist
Shobna Gulati	2010	Panellist
Christine Hamilton	2004, 2011	Panellist
Alison Hammond	2002, 2006	Panellist
Julie Hesmondhalgh	2000	Panellist
Lucy-Jo Hudson	2005	Panellist
Gloria Hunniford	2003	Panellist
Sue Jenkins	2006	Panellist
Ulrika Jonsson	2010	Guest Anchor
Jo Joyner	2010	Panellist
Philippa Kennedy	1999–2000	Panellist
Beverley Knight	2010	Panellist
Amy Lamé	2004	Panellist
Ruth Langsford	1999–2002	Panellist	2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012	Guest Anchor
Angie Le Mar	2011	Panellist
Gabby Logan	2002	Guest Anchor
Lorna Luft	2004	Panellist
Linda Lusardi	2002	Panellist
Carole Malone	2005	Panellist	2007	Guest Anchor
Kym Marsh	2005	Panellist
Sharon Marshall	2007	Panellist
Jennie McAlpine	2010	Panellist
Daisy McAndrew	2009	Panellist
Kerry McFadden	2003–2004	Panellist
Jayne Middlemiss	2003	Panellist
Sarah Millican	2011	Panellist
Jane Moore	1999–2002	Panellist	2000	Guest Anchor
Gigi Morley	2003	Panellist
Sheree Murphy	2006–2007	Panellist
Brigitte Nielsen	2010	Panellist
Coleen Nolan	2000, 2004–2011	Panellist
Tara Palmer-Tompkinson	2011	Panellist
Wendi Peters	2004	Panellist
Arlene Phillips	2010	Panellist
Fiona Phillips	2002	Panellist	2004, 2005, 2009, 2010	Guest Anchor
Eve Pollard	2003	Panellist
Jenny Powell	2004–2005	Panellist
Katie Price	2011	Panellist
Jodie Prenger	2009	Panellist
Denise Robertson	2002	Panellist
Linda Robson	2003, 2010, 2011	Panellist
Lisa Rogers	2003	Panellist
Bridget Rowe	1999	Panellist
Jacey Salles	2003	Panellist
Nadia Sawalha	1999–2002	Panellist
Sandie Shaw	2000	Panellist
Suzanne Shaw	2007	Panellist
Sinitta	2008	Panellist
Penny Smith	2009	Panellist
Lisa Snowdon	2009	Panellist
Stacey Solomon	2011, 2012	Panellist
Jaci Stephen	2002	Guest Anchor
Claire Sweeney	2003–2005, 2010	Panellist
Melanie Sykes	2005	Panellist	2008, 2009	Guest Anchor
Gillian Taylforth	2000, 2006, 2008	Panellist
Kate Thornton	2009–2011	Main Anchor
Sarah Totty	2006	Panellist
Jenni Trent Hughes	2004	Panellist
Anthea Turner	2000	Panellist
Zoe Tyler	2007–2011	Panellist
Nina Wadia	2005–2006	Panellist
Rebecca Wheatley	2002	Panellist
Toyah Willcox	2007	Panellist
Kim Woodburn	2011	Panellist

Related programming

Loose @ 5.30 aired at 5.30pm on ITV for two weeks from 29 May 2006. This teatime spin-off of Loose Women was a slight twist on the original format; 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, usually another male and female, who 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.

Live Talk was a re-branding of Loose Women. The programme lasted 2 series; the first in 2000 and the second in 2001. Many of the former Loose Women team, came to the show including Kaye Adams, Nadia Sawalha, Pattie Coldwell, Karren Brady, Coleen Nolan and Julie Hesmondhalgh. For this new programme, many new panellists contributed including Carol McGiffin, Jenny Powell, Jenni Trent Hughes, Kathryn Apanowicz, Emily Symons, Anne Diamond, Denise Black, Kim Hughes, Sally Gunnell, Julie Peasgood, Lauren Booth, Jenni Murray, Lorraine Kelly, Tracy Shaw, Denise Welch, Heather Mills, Kate Garraway and Sheila Hancock.

On 19 November 2010, as part of Children in Need 2010, McLean, Zoe Tyler, McGiffin, Hewson and Welch performed Girls Aloud's song The Promise as Nanas Aloud.

International variations

• In the USA, The View first aired in 1997 and The Talk debuted in 2010
• In Germany, Frauenzimmer aired between 26 October 2009 and 20 November 2009. The show was cancelled due to poor ratings.
• In Australia, The Circle first aired in 2010 and has a similar format. Yet, there is also cookery and makeovers, it is a popular daytime show on Network Ten.

Criticism and controversy

1. On 6 June 2008, the programme was criticised by British newspaper The Guardian as offensive and hateful to both men and women, for being sexist, and a case of feminism gone too far due to the concept of having a politically incorrect representation of an all-female cast of panellists, as well as the lecherous and patronising behaviour of the panellists.
2. On 17 June 2008, comedienne Joan Rivers was a guest on the show and made an error by not realising that the show was completely live and not recorded. She said "get ready to bleep this" before calling film star Russell Crowe a "fucking shit", which subsequently went live to the public on ITV at approximately 1pm in the afternoon. Anchor Jackie Brambles immediately apologised for Rivers' outburst as the audience laughed hysterically, and during the commercial break Rivers was asked to leave the set and not invited to come back for her final segment. A spokesperson for the show said, "Guests are always briefed that it is a live daytime show and are reminded not to swear or use inappropriate language. An editorial decision was taken that Joan Rivers should not appear in the final part of the programme. We would like to apologise to Loose Women viewers for the inappropriate language used on today's show." Rivers, for her part, finds it all quite funny. "I said: 'I apologise.' Everyone apologised. It was hilariously funny," she says. Joan adds that this was the first time she had been removed from a TV show in 40 years and she was "thrilled".
3. After winning the 2010 National Television Award for "Most Popular Factual Programme", Jan Moir from the Daily Mail wrote an article entitled "How was Loose Women voted best factual TV show when it is fronted by a gaggle of sexual incontinents?". The article goes on to discuss how it shows a feminist viewpoint as well as its sexual content, for example, "'I don't like a sucking noise,' said Sherrie, an observation that raised a geyser of sniggers from the smutbuckets who surrounded her. In Loose Women world, no entendre is ever left undoubled." It also took a grudge against the quality of guests compared to the similar version of the show in the United States
4. On a podcast with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, An Idiot Abroad star Karl Pilkington said he did not want viewers of shows like Loose Women to watch his show. He went on to describe the programme as "flumpf telly" which "you don't have to think about".

On 23rd Feb 2012 the panel compared Breast feeding to a man flashing in public, something that caused outrage amongst public.

Merchandise

In late 2008, ITV released Let Loose: The Very Best Of Loose Women, a DVD featuring highlights of Series 12 and 13. The DVD is introduced by Jackie Brambles and Coleen Nolan, with Jane McDonald and Carol McGiffin giving an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the set at The London Studios. A second DVD was released in November 2009, entitled Late Night with the Loose Women. The extended programme features Andrea McLean, Sherrie Hewson, Carol McGiffin and Jane McDonald discussing raunchier topics than the television timeslot permits, and includes appearances by guests Will Mellor, Rustie Lee and Christopher Biggins. A 2010 DVD release saw Carol McGiffin, Sherrie Hewson, Lisa Maxwell and Denise Welch visit New York, titled Loose Women in New York: Let Loose in the City. The DVD was released on 8 November 2010.

A range of books have also been published under the brand which has expanded further with an online shop selling make-up products, champagne, personalised cups and stationery.

Awards

Date	Ceremony	Award	Status
3 September 2007	TV Quick and TV Choice Awards	Best Daytime Show	Won
19 March 2008	Royal Television Society	Best Daytime Programme	Nominated
25 June 2008	TV Quick and TV Choice Awards	Best Daytime Programme	Won
10 March 2009	Television and Radio Industries Club	TV Daytime Programme award	Won
7 September 2009	TV Quick and TV Choice Awards	Best Daytime Programme	Won
28 November 2009	TV Times Awards	Favourite Programme	Won
20 January 2010	National Television Awards	Most Popular Factual Programme	Won
6 September 2010	TV Choice Awards	Best Daytime Programme	Won
26 January 2011	National Television Awards	Topical Magazine Programme	Nominated
25 January 2012	National Television Awards	Best Talkshow	Nominated

External links

• Loose Women at itv.com
• Loose Women at the Internet Movie Database

• Loose Women on Facebook
• Loose Women on Twitter