Channel 4's Steph McGovern was 'very happy' days before Packed Lunch axing
Steph McGovern admitted feeling "very happy" at Channel 4 just days before bosses announced they were pulling the plug on Steph's Packed Lunch.
Company officials said they were "incredibly proud" of all the show has achieved and credited it for "kick-starting" the channel's growth in the north of England. The broadcaster said the budget for the show will now be reallocated to other programmes in the nations and regions.
It was at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards in London on October 11, before news was announced, that Steph was asked about her career, and if she would be stepping in to replaced Holly Willoughby after her exit from ITV's This Morning.
The last episode of Steph's Packed Lunch airs in December (Channel 4)"I'm very happy at Channel 4, but never say never," she teased to MailOnline, but now it could become a reality following news her own show will end in December. A statement from Channel 4 read: "Steph has not only made the nation’s lunchtimes more entertaining and brilliantly reflected the views and pre-occupations of the country, but the show has also been an outstanding springboard for developing local talent behind the scenes.
"However, with audience habits changing quicker than ever, we have to make difficult decisions about which programmes to invest in to best drive our digital-first strategy and we have decided not to recommission Steph’s Packed Lunch when its existing production contract ends in December 2023.
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"We remain as committed as ever to our mission to help level up the TV industry outside London and to our 50% origination out of London target. We will be reinvesting the budget previously committed to Steph’s Packed Lunch into other nations and regions productions.
"We have almost 500 roles outside of London and this will continue to increase over the next few years. We will continue to build on the legacy of the show, evolving what we do in line with our digital ambitions whilst continuing to reflect the lives of, and give a voice to, all our audiences across the UK and hope to work with Steph on other projects soon."
The Channel 4 show, presented by presented by journalist and broadcaster Steph McGovern, 41, debuted in 2020. The show is live and features items including showbiz interviews, food, news, and consumer advice and is broadcast from Leeds Dock.
Steph's stellar media career started when she landed work experience at the BBC for Tomorrow's World before then becoming a full-time researcher in current affairs. She became the main producer for daily financial news on the Today programme on Radio 4, before becoming the lead producer of business news on BBC's One, Six and Ten O'Clock news bulletins.
In 2010 she joined BBC Breakfast as their main business presenter and also teamed up with Welsh presenter Alex Jones to host Shop Well for Less in 2016. In 2022, Steph appeared on The Masked Dancer as Tomato Sauce.
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