Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch is coming to an end

The show, which airs at lunchtime, launched in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown and was initially broadcast from McGovern’s living room in her Harrogate home.

The original broadcast date was brought forward by Channel 4 as the broadcaster said it hoped to bring something positive into viewers’ lives.

It later moved to its current studio in Leeds.

Announcing the decision to discontinue the program, Channel 4 said it was “incredibly proud” of everything the show had achieved and praised it for “kick-starting” the channel’s growth in the north of England.

The budget for Steph’s packed lunch should be reinvested elsewhere

The budget for the show will now be allocated to other programs in the countries and regions, the broadcaster said.

A statement said: “Not only has Steph made the country’s lunch hour more entertaining and brilliantly reflected the country’s views and concerns, but the show has also been an excellent springboard for the development of local talent behind the scenes.”

“However, with audience habits changing faster than ever, we must make difficult decisions about which programs to invest in to best advance our digital-first strategy, and we have decided not to bring Steph’s Packed Lunch back into operation to be taken when the existing production contract ends in December 2023.” .

“We remain true to our mission of improving the TV industry outside of London and are aiming to produce 50% of our products from London.”

“We will reinvest the budget previously allocated to Steph’s Packed Lunch into productions in other countries and regions.

“We have almost 500 roles outside of London and this number will continue to grow over the next few years.

“We will continue to build on the show’s legacy and evolve our operations in line with our digital ambitions, as we continue to reflect and give a voice to the lives of all our viewers in the UK, and hope to work with Steph on further projects soon.”

“Steph’s Packed Lunch” airs weekdays at 12 p.m. and features celebrity guests, discussions, games and cooking segments.

The news comes just a day after the BBC announced that long-running soap Doctors would be axed after 23 years due to rising costs.

A spokesperson for production companies Expectation and Can Can said: “We have had over three fantastic years co-producing Steph’s Packed Lunch and working with the brilliant Steph McGovern and the outstanding family of on-screen talent.

“We are very disappointed that despite building a loyal audience we are unable to continue to shine at 12-2 on Channel 4.

“Leeds didn’t have a live TV community four years ago and it has been a privilege to build a team that includes some of the brightest and brightest TV producers in the country.”