Vanessa Feltz has left TalkTV after two years, as the station undergoes a major programming shakeup before being taken off the air and online.
The presenter, 62, who hosted the drivetime slot, will be replaced by Jeremy Kyle, 58, for four days a week, with Peter Cardwell hosting from 4-7pm on Fridays.
TalkTV will go off air and online in the summer, with the announcement coming just weeks after Piers Morgan left his daily show on the channel.
Vanessa said: ‘I’ve had the most fabulous two years at TalkTV.
‘It has been a pleasure and a revelation to work at a fledgling station. Among many experiences, it was my honor to break the news of Her Majesty The Queen’s passing to viewers and broadcast it live during that momentous moment.
Vanessa Feltz has left TalkTV after two years as the station undergoes a major programming shakeup before being taken off the air and online.
The presenter, 62, who presented the drivetime show, will be replaced by Jeremy Kyle, 58, for four days a week, with Peter Cardwell hosting from 4pm to 7pm on Fridays.
“As TalkTV moves away from linear television, it’s time for me too to take a step back and focus on my other commitments and new projects ahead.”
Scott Taunton, Executive Vice President of Broadcasting at News UK, added: ‘Vanessa is a unique broadcaster and has made a unique contribution to TalkTV over the last two years. She stands back with our thanks and best wishes.’
The programming change will also see Mike Graham move to the Breakfast show while Julia Hartley-Brewer remains in her morning slot.
The Talk with Sharon Osbourne and CrossTalk with JJ Anisiobi and breakfast co-host Nicola Thorp are also missing from the spring schedule.
Dennie Morris, Audio Director, Broadcast News, said: ‘The home of common sense is back and going completely digital. Talk will continue to provide viewers and listeners with the most important and bold opinions and analysis in broadcasting.
‘Our flagship weekday programming with Mike Graham, Julia Hartley-Brewer, Ian Collins, Jeremy Kyle and Kevin O’Sullivan will maintain Talk’s growing reach across the brand – on YouTube, on connected TVs, on radio, online and in the Talk app. ‘
The This Morning favorite left her £400,000-a-year Radio 2 show in 2022 to move to Talk Radio and Talk TV after more than 20 “years of 3.30am starts”.
TalkTV, which launched in 2022, has struggled to attract viewers to its linear platform.
In February, Piers announced that he was leaving the channel to focus on the Uncensored YouTube channel, saying that fixed daily television schedules have been “an increasingly unnecessary straitjacket.”
In February, Piers announced that he was leaving the channel to focus on the uncensored YouTube channel, saying that the fixed daily television schedules had been “an unnecessary straitjacket”.
The talk with Sharon Osbourne is also missing from the spring programming
A statement from Scott Taunton, TalkTV’s president of broadcasting, said in a staff briefing: ‘Two years ago, we would not have been brave enough to launch a channel without a linear presence.
‘But audiences of all ages have evolved rapidly and smartphones are now the primary device on which news is consumed. “We need to adapt to this as a priority.”
He added: “Therefore, we intend for Talk to exit linear television in early summer and focus on streaming.”
‘Talk will continue to broadcast as a live news and opinion channel, distributed across streaming platforms including YouTube, Amazon Fire, Samsung, LG and others.
‘A large proportion of our live viewing is already done via streaming on TVs and we intend to continue to increase this.
Scott said the clips will continue to be shared across social media and that while there is “no question about Talk’s future as an audio and video channel, it simply won’t be distributed linearly.”
TalkTV currently has 869,000 YouTube subscribers. Piers Morgan Uncensored has 2.4 million.
TalkTV, a company of News UK, the publisher of The Times and The Sun, will launch in 2022.