[Matrix]

The short answer is politics.

The longer answer is it was an attempt to prevent the government from putting it up for sale, by claiming coming partly from Leeds was in line with the government's leveling up agenda.

Reality is it's essentially a fairly pointless, but presumably expensive gimmick.

Among other things I think it was seeing Cathy Newman bouncing between studios that promoted me to ask the question. 

Also I don't think it's that often we see that many guests in the Leeds studio. 

And let's not forget the health/strike special just recently that was live in Leeds yet was utterly pointless. One key guest was down the line from Grays Inn Road and the other travelled from London to Leeds for the programme. 

Nonsensical.

I feel like I'm going to bat back again for 'the regions'--and I completely understand the summation that it is nonsensical--but just to put the argument: Channel 4, like others, cough Newsnight, shouldn't solely be anchored from London. There is a wealth of stories and issues which should (arguably they need to focus more on this) come from right across the UK. 

For my two pence, I quite like seeing places other than London shown on screen. It gives a sense that not everything happens in London, nor should it.