Lorraine Kelly has said she hopes audiences will 'stay with her' after ITV's decision to brutally slash and overhaul her show.

The TV presenter, 65, faced the brunt of the broadcaster's huge cost cutting measures, with GMB now taking her 9-10am slot for 22 weeks of the year.

For the remaining 30 weeks of the year, she will present five days a week, meaning her Friday stand-in presenters Ranvir Singh and Christine Lampard are no longer needed for the show. 

Lorraine, who previously branded the changes as 'heartbreaking' but still refused to quit, said she 'never takes her viewers for granted' and hope they will weather the storm with her. 

'Hopefully the audience will still stay with us, because that's the most important thing to me, is you know, that the audience are still enjoying what I do and the fact that people are so kind and they still watch after all these years,'.

She went on to reveal how her decades on TV has resulted in fans considering her a friend: 'It's something that I never, ever take for granted and I never take any, any of this for granted. I really don't, because it's, it's an honour'.

Before going on to tell The Standard: 'The show continues and obviously it's only going to be the half hour… but you know what, we're still here. We're still here.' 

Loose Women was also be axed for half the year, as ITV Daytime bosses announced huge cuts earlier this year with job losses in excess of 220. 

ITV sources told Daily Mail that they have decided to cut resources on their daytime schedule so that the network can invest in more drama programmes.

One said: ‘There is a need to cost save but also so that the right money can go to the right shows and with everything getting more expensive these things have to be looked at.’

The source added: 'Christine and Ranvir remain part of the ITV daytime family.'

This Morning, whose presenters include Alison Hammond, Ben Shepherd, and Cat Deeley, remains untouched.

It was also announced that ITV Studios would no longer make Good Morning Britain but instead it will be made by ITN - the organisation which makes ITV News.

That means that there could be a merger between the staff working on GMB - which is hosted by Susanna Reid - and the channel’s news bulletins.

Meanwhile, ITV said that it is unlikely any on-screen talent will be axed.

An ITV source insisted that the changes have not be influenced by any of the show’s performances, saying: 'We recognise daytime is a very popular genre and these changes and efficiencies are about preserving the future of the genre,' 

'Whilst also funding additional investment in dramas like Mr Bates vs The Post Office and in coverage of the biggest sporting events like next year’s football World Cup as well as the UK’s biggest reality and entertainment shows.

'This has nothing to do with under performance, the bosses are very pleased with all four shows. This Morning and GMB have escaped unscathed, their social media footprint is booming.’

Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of ITV’s Media and Entertainment Division, explained the changes: 'Daytime is a really important part of what we do, and these scheduling and production changes will enable us to continue to deliver a schedule providing viewers with the news, debate and discussion they love from the presenters they know and trust as well generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres.

'These changes also allow us to consolidate our news operations and expand our national, international and regional news output and to build upon our proud history of trusted journalism at a time when our viewers need accurate, unbiased news coverage more than ever.'

Lygo added: 'I recognise that our plans will have an impact on staff off screen in our Daytime production teams, and we will work with ITV Studios and ITN as they manage these changes to produce the shows differently from next year, and support them through this transition.

'Daytime has been a core element of ITV’s schedule for over 40 years and these changes will set ITV up to continue to bring viewers award winning news, views and discussion as we enter our eighth decade.”