All the shows Channel 4 has axed this year as stars speak out over budget cuts

14 December 2023 , 11:06

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All the shows Channel 4 has axed this year as stars speak out over budget cuts

Channel 4 axed a host of its beloved TV shows as part of a huge scheduling shake-up in a desperate bid to save money, over the past 12 months.

The broadcaster has pulled the plug on eight of its popular shows over the past 12 months due to a drop in advertising, which it heavily relies on to commission shows. Most recently Steph's Packed Lunch joined a number of shows that have been swept up in the broadcaster's cull. But fans of Steph's Packed Lunch have blasted Channel 4 for cancelling the daytime discussion show, as they now fear the broadcaster will now become a "no-go" during the day.

Steph McGovern bid farewell earlier this month

Channel 4 announced that the show was facing the axe back in October this year. And in a statement the broadcaster claimed that it had made the tough decision to cancel the show due to audience viewing habits changing. Part of the statement read: "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."

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that the Lateish Show, hosted by comedian Mo Gilligan had come to an end. Channel 4 cut the show along with another called Hobbyman, which was hosted by The Last Leg star Alex Brooker, after just one series.

But informing his fans, Mo took to social media to inform his them of the sad news as the show had entertained the public for the past four years. Within his statement he said: "After four incredible years, The Christmas episode of The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan which, transmits at 10pm on Wednesday 20th December will be my last. I can’t even begin to describe how proud I am of this show. It genuinely changed my life and has created an industry-wide impact. It’s won numerous awards and achieved even more nominations, but it’s the army of people behind the scenes that made it happen who are so important. There are so many moments that I’ll always look back on with so much happiness."

Escape to the Chateau's Dick and Angel give exciting news as fans beg for return

But Mo's show is just one of many that have been canned. Earlier this year it was confirmed by Channel 4 that Don't Tell The Bride was not being renewed. The show focuses on a groom who is tasked with organising an entire wedding on a £14,000 budget and this even includes his bride-to-be's wedding gown.

And while it remained popular, it was reportedly being overshadowed by the popularity of E4's Married At First Sight. But a spokesperson for the broadcaster was keen to state that its decision to axe the show was not a financial one.

They said: "The decision to rest Don’t Tell the Bride was not a financial one, we often take the decision to pause programmes for many different reasons. The show was last broadcast in 2020, but there’s every chance our DTTB brides and grooms will walk down the aisle again in future."

Another show that fell victim to the schedule shake-up was Big Interiors Battle, hosted by Big Brother host AJ Odudu. The 35 year old presenter hosted the home improvement show just before it was confirmed that she was set to present the reality TV show earlier this year. The programme saw eight interior designers, whose aim was to transform a different room of an apartment each week. Contestants learned whether or not they had been eliminated from the show by an electronic key card.

But after one series the plug was pulled as the concept on paper did not match the reality. At the time, last month a spokesperson explained: "Every year, Channel 4, like all broadcasters, makes decisions about which shows to rest, return or conclude to ensure we always innovate and offer viewers the best range of programming. Regretfully, The Big Interiors Battle did not resonate with viewers as we would have liked, and there are no current plans for further series."

Back in June this year SAS: Who Dares Wins, which is the civilian version of the celebrity spin-off show, also faced the chop after eight series. Meanwhile, the celebrity version continues and has most recently seen the likes of former politician Matt Hancock, Michelle Heaton from Liberty X and TOWIE star Amber Turner.

And again within the same month, comedy talk show the Big Narstie hosted by rapper Big Narstie and Mo Gilligan, was also part of the broadcaster's cull. The show first aired in 2018 and had been running for six series. And after nine series, Escape to the Chateau had been pulled and the news was announced in September this year.

The popular programme sees them renovate their French chateau, turning it from a wreck of a building to a proper home and events venue. In a lengthy statement, the duo told fans: "We're so grateful to everyone who continues to support us and we're looking forward to what the future holds. As one Chateau chapter ends, so another Chateau story begins."

Another show that faced the chop was Rescue: Extreme Medics, which follows a number of skilled professionals from the Scottish Trauma Network. In a bid to cut down on costs the beloved medical reality show was cut after two series.

Lucretia Munro