[Brekkie]

I wonder if the episode had actually already been pre-recorded with Ben, Kate and Susanna and this was a hasty re-record?

Has Sean got his annual stint hosting this week?

[Ben Shatliff]

I wonder if the episode had actually already been pre-recorded with Ben, Kate and Susanna and this was a hasty re-record?

Has Sean got his annual stint hosting this week?

Ranvir and Richard Madely today with Richard Gaisford doing the News Updates.

[AaronTV]

I wonder if the episode had actually already been pre-recorded with Ben, Kate and Susanna and this was a hasty re-record?

Has Sean got his annual stint hosting this week?

I’ve also seen the suggestion that a show had already been recorded with Susanna, Ben and Kate, but haven’t seen that confirmed for sure. Understandable in the circumstances if so that it wasn’t used.

Although Christmas Day usually includes best bits, there’s also a fair amount of new links and usually new performances, so I can certainly see why they may not have had time or the resources to record another Christmas show having decided not to use the first version.

From what I’ve seen, the Christmas Day show this year was a very brief intro with Ben and Ranvir recorded last Thursday or Friday, then a repeat of the 1 Million Minutes Awards from this month, with no outro.

[Andrew]

It actually seems quite plausible especially as despite Kate’s situation, you would still have expected Susanna to appear. So having to cobble together another show at short notice when Susanna had already finished seems likely

[JMT1985]

This seems to be a poorly misjudged moment for GMB - if they were planning for a two hour recorded Christmas Day version - surely planning would enable them to just air their two hour recorded show, and if anything terrible happened, an announcement before the show would have saved the two hour programme.

Remember, hardly anyone watches GMB on Christmas Day, so it is not as if they will be affecting millions of viewers, more like affecting a few thousand who bother to have ITV1 on at 7am on Christmas morning.

[Brekkie]

This seems to be a poorly misjudged moment for GMB - if they were planning for a two hour recorded Christmas Day version - surely planning would enable them to just air their two hour recorded show, and if anything terrible happened, an announcement before the show would have saved the two hour programme.

Remember, hardly anyone watches GMB on Christmas Day, so it is not as if they will be affecting millions of viewers, more like affecting a few thousand who bother to have ITV1 on at 7am on Christmas morning.

I suspect the concern was how broadcasting it might have affected their colleague, not the few hundred thousand watching.

[JMT1985]

I suspect the concern was how broadcasting it might have affected their colleague, not the few hundred thousand watching.

I really think Kate would not have minded. Kate is a wonderful woman, who understands television. I am sure, she wouldn't have minded.

[South]

We don't know what was in the recording, it was likely filmed before Derek was admitted to hospital. This is more than just Kate though it is also her children, and they are always the number 1 priority, so I don't think any of us are qualified or not to say whether Kate would have minded or not.

[JMT1985]

Well this shows once again the problem when you build your show around a certain collection of hosts - flexibility is needed.

I may sound cold, but I feel GMB could have continued with their two hour special, and simply added little announcements before each hour if they had to, and I am sure Kate would have been fine with it.

I know how it is to have family members seriously ill - I have been there, even myself, I was in hospital in 2017 near to death, I know what she must be feeling now, so I am not cold hearted here.

[all new phil]

That’s nice but they didn’t. It’s not a big deal.