Good Morning Britain in 2020

I think that some of the GMB team could make an excellent B team. Ranvir for example is a fantastic journalist.

Also are they not freelance!?

What makes you say that? I personally know staff reporters who have been furloughed. No different to any other profession I would think - If they’re not required or there’s not enough work to keep them employed right now (which will be the case for reporters who would usually cover events/sports/other non-essential news), they’re furloughed. If they’re staff of course.

Piers being off is a shame for GMB. I don’t love the man, but I’ve found myself watching more and more over Breakfast recently as it feels GMB is a lot more... frank. More honest. Less sugar coated. The tone of the show and its gravitas changes when Piers is off though, and again proves their whole brand currently revolves around him. They really do need to build up a stronger second team (like This Morning) so the show can remain consistent when he’s off.

STV have started to furlough presenters.

I'd expect that the main talent have their own limited companies and are contracted as such. So, furlough rules wouldn't apply.

In that case, they will most likely be directors of their own Ltd company

From:-
https://www.iod.com/services/information-and-advice/resources-and-factsheets/details/Directors-and-the-Coronavirus-Job-Retention-Scheme



It's not furlough as such, but I suspect a lot of colloquial language use here (cf Astons, Hoovers, Filming etc etc)

Most mainstream presenters are employed through personal service companies or are freelance, rather than being employed as staff, which makes the furlough rules tricky (particularly if you are paid via dividends not salary via your PSC).

My thought was that it's difficult to furlough them when you aren't booking them - they simply aren't being booked or paid?

Staff reporters are very different to presenters - which is why I didn't mention reporters. Which broadcasters do you know who are furloughing staff reporters (other than Scottish TV)? (Scottish are presumably much more exposed financially than ITV plc?)


Piers is marmite. I still find his on-screen persona a bit like an act - so maybe he qualifies for the Lorraine 'playing a character' tax rules too...

Piers Morgan, played by Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan.

So in real life Piers Morgan is as nice as Lorraine Kelly and Lorraine Kelly is as nice as Piers Morgan.

Well, if the rumours about Ellen Degeneres are to be believed, I wouldn't be surprised!

Sick of saying this, but the judge ruled comprehensively in Lorraine's favour. It was a ridiculous case by HMRC and the stick she has got from it since is unfair. It's incredibly reductive to use the "playing the character of Lorraine" aspect of the judgement to summarise.

Nobody asked you to say that.