Carol McGiffin hated being styled on Free Ladies.
The 65-year-old broadcaster – who was a panellist on the ITV1 talk-show on-and-off for almost 20 years – felt “exhausted” with following the “ludicrous wardrobe insurance policies” and the “mandated costume codes”.
Writing in her newest Finest journal column, Carol mentioned: “I did Free Ladies for nearly 20 years and the mandated costume codes used to exhaust me.
“We went from sporting our personal garments to being purchased stuff to stick to ludicrous wardrobe insurance policies like, ‘No arms on present,’ presumably as a result of our ageing biceps had been morphing into bingo wings which the (male) boss on the time had determined had been offensive.
“One other feminine (!) boss as soon as ordered all the ladies to put on excessive heels as nicely.
“I all the time loathed being ‘dressed’ or ‘styled’ as they most well-liked to name it.”
Carol additionally blasted ITV for eliminating outfits that had “principally” solely been worn as soon as by the presenters.
She mentioned: “You all the time needed to be co-ordinated as much as the eyeballs in good slacks, wrap clothes or boiler fits.
“It used to make me shudder, almost as a lot because the insane quantity of waste on unimaginable quantities of garments that had principally solely been worn as soon as.”
Carol thinks if bosses let the presenters put on and say what they wished, ITV “would possibly” not be “shedding 200+ jobs” – a reference to the broadcaster’s finances cuts that may also see Free Ladies air for 30 weeks as a substitute of 52 weeks of the 12 months from 2026.
Carol mentioned: “If these in cost had spent much less time obsessing over wardrobe coverage and allowed presenters to be themselves, permitting them to say what they suppose moderately than what they wished them to suppose, they won’t be shedding 200+ jobs.”
In addition to Free Ladies, the morning journal present Lorraine will now function on a 30-week “seasonal foundation”, whereas a raft of exhibits will probably be broadcast from a brand new location in central London.
Kevin Lygo, the managing director of ITV’s Media and Leisure Division, just lately mentioned the broadcaster was going via a “transition”.
He mentioned: “I recognise that our plans will have an effect on employees off-screen in our Daytime manufacturing groups.
“We’ll work with ITV Studios and ITN as they handle these modifications to supply the exhibits otherwise from subsequent 12 months and assist them via this transition.
“Daytime has been a core factor of ITV’s schedule for over 40 years and these modifications will set ITV as much as proceed to carry viewers award-winning information, views and dialogue as we enter our eighth decade.”