ITV is shutting down one of its major channels and is moving The Only Way Is Essex and The Real Housewives of Cheshire over to ITV2 after the success of Love Island and Big Brother. TOWIE currently airs on ITVBe, which launched in 2014, and the channel was previously the home for Georgia Tommy: Baby Steps and Ferne McCann: My Family and Me.
Now, TV bosses are making ITV2 the home of reality TV, with all future series broadcasting conducted from there. An insider told The Sun: “ITV has seen incredible success and record breaking numbers of viewers on ITV2, so following that success they’ll be shutting ITVBe and movie TOWIE onto ITV2, which will now be the home of reality. ITVBe shuts in June, then the new series of TOWIE will debut on ITV2 in Autumn.”
TOWIE and the Real Housewives franchise will move over to ITV2 (Image: Ken McKay/REX/Shutterstock)
Love Island is arguably one of the biggest shows on ITV, with the 2024 series launch raking in an impressive 2.2million viewers. TOWIE is ITV’s longest-running reality show, which launched back in 2010.
The final of the first series drew in 737,000 viewers but last year it was reported less than 50,000 were tuning into the iconic show. Following the major changes, bosses are hoping a fresh channel will give the Essex show the audience it deserves.
It comes after reports that the broadcaster are facing a “budget crisis” following several departures from Coronation Street and Emmerdale. In the past few months, a variety of stars from both soaps have either left the programme or are scheduled to leave.
Corrie and Emmerdale also both failed to reach the Christmas Day Top 10 for viewing figures, while rival soap EastEnders managed to make the list – with two outings coming in at 5th and 8th place.
Audiences bid a fond farewell to continuing drama legend Helen Worth over the festive period, when she departed her Gail Platt role after 50 years. The episode secured just 2.6million viewers, compared to the BBC soap’s combined 3.98million and 4.39million.
According to The Sun, cast are fearing what this might mean for their contracts beyond 2025. A source told the outlet: “The cast of Corrie is huge and some aren’t getting enough epiosodes. A few paid per episode are struggling to pay mortgages are having to supplement income with personal appearances and ads on Instagram.
“A lit if cast members are now on ‘guest contracts’ like Maureen Lipman and Kate Ford. These are short term, so they can come and go and take extended breaks. The cast have been told they can’t guarantee any contracts beyond the end of 2025.”
