Vanessa Feltz's Channel 5 show ‘on the brink' as ratings drop amid crisis talks

Daily Mirror

24-05-2025

Vanessa Feltz's new afternoon talk show on Channel 5 is reportedly facing an uncertain future as disappointing ratings prompt behind-the-scenes crisis talks
Channel 5 is reportedly scrambling behind the scenes 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 splash network executives had hoped for - prompting urgent strategy meetings and casting doubt over Feltz's long-term place at the channel.
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Top producers have reportedly held intense discussions in recent days, weighing the show's viability and considering potential format overhauls. The network had anticipated that Vanessa's star power would retain the audience from The Jeremy Vine Show, but viewership has not met expectations.
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'The future of Vanessa's show is very much uncertain for the time being,' a source confided to 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."
Ratings for the show have reportedly nosedived, with just 62,000 people tuning in to Monday's episode - a sharp contrast to the 200,000 viewers Jeremy Vine routinely draws. '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 insider added.
The atmosphere behind the scenes has grown increasingly tense, particularly following ITV 's recent announcement of sweeping cuts to its daytime output. With big-name programmes like Lorraine and Loose Women facing potential downsizing, insiders say staff are bracing for the worst.
'Everyone is worried and they all feel bitterly disappointed that Vanessa's show hasn't taken off as planned,' the source said.
However, a second insider offered a more tempered view, noting that the time slot Vanessa occupies traditionally underperforms in comparison to earlier segments: 'Vanessa's timeslot has always typically received less viewers than Jeremy's on-air slot and at present, [the show] was still performing in-line with what is expected of early afternoons on Channel 5.'
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In response to the speculation, a Channel 5 spokesperson commented: 'There are no current plans for any changes. As with all live shows, we continue to evolve with our audience.'
Vanessa made a high-profile return to daytime television when the show debuted earlier this year, marking a revival of a format she first led in the 1990s. She originally hosted Vanessa on ITV from 1994 to 1998, with the show coming to an end amid reports of a pay dispute, during which Feltz allegedly requested a £2.75 million salary.
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She later fronted The Vanessa Show on BBC One in 1999, though it was short-lived and cancelled after just one season.
Channel 5 attempted to breathe new life into the concept in 2011, but the revamped Vanessa Show was ultimately relegated to a later time slot due to flagging ratings and then cancelled altogether.
The Mirror has approached Vanessa's representatives and a Channel 5 spokesperson for comment on this story.