Vanessa Feltz’s Channel 5 show faces ‘uncertain’ future just months from launch as bosses in ‘crisis talks’
Channel 5 is reportedly in crisis mode as concerns mount over the future of Vanessa, the recently launched afternoon talk show fronted by veteran broadcaster Vanessa Feltz.
Just two months into its run, the programme has yet to make the impact network bosses had hoped for, triggering urgent strategy meetings and raising questions over Feltz’s long-term role at the channel.
Sources say senior producers have been engaged in frantic discussions in recent days, weighing whether the show can be salvaged with format changes or if it’s already beyond saving.
The network had banked on Feltz’s star power retaining the audience from The Jeremy Vine Show, but ratings have so far been disappointing.
“The future of Vanessa’s show is very much uncertain for the time being,” a source told The Sun.
“Bosses have been locked in crisis talks and have been planning ways to immediately revamp the programme if there is to be a chance that it could be saved.”
Viewership figures paint a stark picture, with just 62,000 people tuning in for Monday’s episode, which is far below the 200,000 viewers The Jeremy Vine Show typically attracts.
The source added: “Jeremy regularly gets 200,000 watching his show but they all seem to reach for the remote and switch off when Vanessa comes on.”
The climate behind the scenes has grown tense, particularly after ITV announced sweeping cuts to its own daytime programming, with flagship shows like Lorraine and Loose Women reportedly under review.
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Channel 5 staff are said to be bracing for bad news.
“Everyone is worried and they all feel bitterly disappointed that Vanessa’s show hasn’t taken off as planned,” an insider said.
However, another source struck a more cautious tone, suggesting the show’s time slot is historically challenging.
“Vanessa’s time slot has always typically received fewer viewers than Jeremy’s on-air slot, and at present, the show is still performing in line with what is expected of early afternoons on Channel 5,” they said.
Vanessa Feltz made a high-profile return to daytime television when Vanessa launched earlier this year, reviving a format she first hosted in the 1990s.
She originally fronted Vanessa on ITV from 1994 to 1998, before leaving amid reports of a pay dispute over a £2.75million salary.
She later hosted The Vanessa Show on BBC One in 1999, but it was cancelled after just one season.
Channel 5 also attempted to revive the concept in 2011, but the updated Vanessa Show struggled with ratings and was ultimately moved to a later time slot before being axed.
A Channel 5 spokesman told GB News: “There are no current plans for any changes. As with all live shows, we continue to evolve with our audience.”