Vanessa Feltz’s eponymous Channel 5 show has been shelved amid low ratings and insiders say it’s a huge ‘blow’ for everyone who worked so hard behind the scenes

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Vanessa Feltz suffers blow as Channel 5 show shelved after just months on air(Image: Channel 5)

Vanessa Feltz’s eponymous Channel 5 show has been shelved amid low ratings. The legendary broadcaster, 63, launched the programme in March this year and it acted as a natural rival to ITV’s Loose Women, which is shown at the same time on weekday lunchtimes.

But after just seven months on air, it has now been claimed that it will not be shown as of next month. The former Strictly Come Dancing contestant recently told The Mirror about her her ‘nightmare’ love life following her split from Ben Ofeudu, but in a fresh blow for the TV star, it’s now been reported that the chat show will take an ‘extended break ahead of Christmas’.

A source said: “It’s been a real blow to everyone who has been working so hard to make the show a success.” According to The Sun, the 70-minute programme attracts just 50,000 viewers whilst Loose Women, which sees stars like Janet Street-Porter, Denise Welch, Ruth Langsford and Coleen Nolan amongst a whole host of others also debate topics of the day, is thought to pull in around half a million on average.

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After just seven months on air, it has now been claimed that it will not be shown as of next month(Image: Channel 5)

Despite the struggle for ratings, a spokesperson for Channel 5 noted that the programme will continue early next year. He said: “With our festive lineup of Christmas Movies filling the daytime schedule, The Vanessa Show will be taking a planned pause. Vanessa remains an important and much-loved part of the 5 daytime line up and we’re thrilled to be bringing her back in 2026. We look forward to her return and to more conversations together next year.”

A representative for the programme then told The Mirror: “Vanessa is not being axed or put on an extended break due to ratings. Vanessa is continuing to air as scheduled. During November and December, Channel 5 is broadcasting its annual Christmas movies as it always does. Vanessa will return on January 5 as planned and has already been recommissioned for 2026. We thank fans for their continued support and look forward to welcoming viewers back in the new year.”

“” Each weekday, Vanessa takes calls from viewers about sensitive topics and the programme has featured a slew of celebrity guests such as former Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan, Coyote Ugly star Adam Garcia, Penny Lancaster, soap legend Amanda Barrie and whole host of others.

In May, the outlet reported that the future of the show was looking ‘uncertain for the time being,’ just two months after the first episode was broadcast. At the time, ‘crisis talks’ were said to be taking place and that it was described as being a ‘total disaster behind-the-scenes.’

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Vanessa gave up her regular job on This Morning after more than 30 years to launch her own seriues(Image: ITV)

Vanessa is no stranger to hosting her own show, having famously helmed The Vanessa Show for ITV in the late 1990s before she was replaced by Trisha Goddard. The Celebrity Big Brother star then moved to the BBC and eventually focused on radio before Channel 5 produced a short-lived revival of The Vanessa Show in 2011, but even that was cancelled after failing to attract viewers.

While the show seems to be suffering in terms of viewers, there was some success when Vanessa collected the prestigious Talk Show gong at the National Reality TV Awards in July – beating the likes of BBC’s The Graham Norton Show and ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show.

Reacting to the award, Vanessa told London Beautiful Life Media: “I’m beside myself!” Asked if she expected to win, the TV star continued: “Definitely not – you must be joking! The show’s only been going since the last week of March, it’s only July!

“And we’re up against all the greats – Graham Norton, Jonathan Ross, Alan Titchmarsh, absolutely everybody! So I was not. I was thinking – I had this knot in my stomach of nerves, and I was trying to give myself a sharp talking to like, ‘Don’t be silly, absolutely don’t stand a chance, the show’s brand-new, we’re never going to,’ and then here it is, we did!

Vanessa had been a regular face on ITV’s This Morning for more than 30 years when she decided to step down from the ITV magazine show, where she would host phone-ins and debate with other presenters, to focus on her own programme. At the time, she told the Daily Star newspaper: “I’ve been on This Morning since 1992. It’s been a long time . But I’m now doing my own show and I can’t do both.”

As she made her announcement, Vanessa praised the presenters and crew on This Morning for being “so lovely” about her decision.

She added: “When I told everyone I wouldn’t be able to do the show anymore, they were lovely about it. I heard from Alison Hammond and Holly Willoughby immediately and the bosses were charming. I’ll miss working with them all.”