Loose Women chaos as two stars set to quit over 'unacceptable' contract change
Two Loose Women stars have reportedly 'quit' the show following a row over contracts.
Long-running panellists Janet Street-Porter, 77, and Jane Moore, 61, are said to be in talks with ITV bosses who want them to sign contracts saying they are permanent employees rather than freelance journalists. The new contract row follows former Loose Women panelist Carol Griffin exiting the show for similar reasons last year.
Jane, who anchored the popular daytime show from 1999 to 2002 before returning as a regular panellist in 2013, hasn’t been seen on the panel since December 29. Janet, who has been a Loose Women regular since 2011, has continued to appear, though the issues are still not thought to be resolved.
The row is said to be down to ITV’s new PAYE-only contracts policy, in response to HMRC’s crackdown on off-payroll working rules – or IR35 – to ensure that freelancers broadly pay the same income tax and national insurance as employees. Sources claim that Janet and Jane, who have both been freelance for decades and work on other projects, are “furious” over the “unacceptable” contract change, which do not offer holiday, sick pay or pensions and forbid some work opportunities – especially as Jane only appeared on the show 10 times last year.
Loose Women stars Janet Street-Porter and Jane Moore are reportedly not happy with their new contracts (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Despite “loving” working on Loose Women, the pair may be ready to walk, following in the footsteps of former panellist Carol McGiffin, who quit after refusing to sign a similar contract last year. A source told MailOnline: “Jane and Janet are furious. They have done such a lot of work for that show and they love it – but they do work across different companies and, as journalists, value their independent status. Things have got pretty tense. If it carries on, there might be a big change to the line-up.”
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A spokesperson for ITV told The Mirror: “We don’t comment on individual cases, but ITV ensures that it complies with and follows all HMRC guidance and legislation.” The Mirror has reached out to representatives for both Jane and Janet for further comment on this story.
Speaking in May last year, Carol said “no one in their right mind” would sign the contract which she called “totally unjust and unworkable for me”. During an appearance on GB News, the TV star said she no longer watches the show and claimed it’s become too 'woke' for her.
Many of ITV’s biggest stars have recently been in battles with HMRC, including Loose Women star Kaye Adams. The 61-year-old recently won a 10-year fight with the tax man over IR35 rules, but said the experience had left her feeling “utterly beaten up and gas lit”, even comparing it to how Post Office postmasters were treated in the Horizon computer scandal.
Former Good Morning Britain host Eamonn Holmes recently lost two HMRC appeals over whether he was freelance or staff at ITV. He revealed he had been forced to sell his beloved house in Belfast to pay £250,000 in backdated tax, as well as facing “hundreds of thousands” in legal fees.
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