Loose Women has announced that it will welcome back a live studio audience in September this year - and fans are overjoyed.
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Coleen Nolan broke the news during Wednesday's edition of the lunchtime chat show, revealing that the programme will welcome audience members into the studio for the first time in two and a half years.
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Addressing the viewers, she said: "Over the past two and a half years, it's been a bit lonely and empty in here. We've got our lovely crew, but sorry crew, as much as we love you, it's not quite enough."
She continued: "This studio needs filling up, so from early September, we are bringing back the studio audience," prompting cheers from the fellow panellists Christine Lampard, Janet Street-Porter and Jane Moore, as well as the crew.
Viewers took to Twitter to express their joy at the good news, with one person writing: "So glad that the audience is coming back. @loosewomen I was there in February 2020 just before lockdown and I'll be there in September." while another added: "Yay! The studio audience to return."
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The show was forced to broadcast without a live studio audience for the first time in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak.
A live studio audience will return in September
At the time, a spokesperson for the show told the Evening Standard: "In order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, ITV has asked all producers to consider whether shows which normally have a live audience can be made without one.
"Decisions need to be made on a show by show basis, in consultation with commissioning teams [at ITV network] and taking into account the role of the audience in each show.
"Although we love to have an audience on Loose Women, we are following this guidance and adapting the show during this period so we don't have an audience on set. This will commence from Monday 16th March."
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