The real reason Penny Lancaster stepped down as a Loose Women panelist has been revealed after former co-stars quit the show amid rumors of “toxicity” on set.
She has been appearing on the show since 2014, but fans feared she had quit after not appearing on the daytime show for months.
It has since been announced that she will no longer be a regular panelist, but will appear as a “guest” on future shows.
Penny’s departure is the latest in a string of high-profile names to leave the show. Many accuse Loose Women of having a “toxic” environment behind the scenes.
But a representative for Penny quickly dispelled any rumors about the special constable’s decision.
Revealed: The real reason Penny Lancaster stepped down as a Loose Women panellist has been revealed after former co-stars quit the show amid rumors of ‘toxicity’ on set
They told Web: ‘Penny has been asked to appear on the show in September but is only available for one date in the near future; A date that doesn’t work for Loose Women.
“Penny has just returned from abroad after a six-week absence; and she will leave for South America shortly. Loose Women and we have agreed to take another look at the diary when she returns in October.
“It is obvious that Penny is no longer a regular panelist. This is entirely due to other professional and personal commitments.
“Penny loves the show; and Loose Women loves Penny. But such appearances that she may make in the future will be as a guest.’
An ITV spokesperson added: “Penny is a very popular part of the award-winning Loose Women family and it’s always a pleasure to have her on the show.”
“We look forward to her joining us again soon.”
Penny, who is married to Rod Stewart, is the latest to withdraw from the program after regulars Carol McGiffin and Saira Khan exited.
Carol and Saira both left the show citing “toxicity” behind the scenes on the long-running daytime series.
Since first joining the show in 2014, Penny has made 47 appearances on the show. She performed regularly until last fall.
This comes after Loose Women agent Melanie Blake, who has represented 15 of the women who have appeared on the show, described the matter as “cut-throat”.
Time Out: She has been appearing on the show since 2014, but fans feared she had quit after not appearing on the daytime program for months
Speaking out: Carol McGiffin accused her former show of “pushing liberal, woke rhetoric down the throats” of viewers after ending her 20-year association with the ITV show
Irritated: Saira Khan has claimed only Stacey Solomon should be ‘the fun one’ on Loose Women as she reignites her feud with ITV (pictured on the show in 2020)
Following the Phillip Schofield scandal, she said: “In my experience, it’s the show where the going gets tough, not This Morning.”
She had previously said: “When you bring together a lot of ambitious women and only have a few seats to fill, there will inevitably always be tensions.”
“Showbiz isn’t all diamonds and rosé.” “Although the Loose Women have been best friends from day one, it’s just a party line.”
Panelist Denise Welch responded to the claims, insisting she wouldn’t work on a show with such a negative atmosphere.
She wrote on Twitter: “It’s so disappointing that an agent @MelanieBlakeUK constantly uses her position to put other women down.”
“It’s such a cliché that women can’t work together without being sluts.” “I adore my @loosewomen colleagues or I wouldn’t work there.”
Carol was forced to quit Loose Women after claiming on radio that the pandemic was a conspiracy by the World Health Organization to take over all governments.
She confirmed she had quit the midday show and protested that ITV had insisted she sign a contract with clauses that were “totally unfair and unworkable”.
But The Mail on Sunday then revealed a free speech dispute was at the heart of her exit after her tirade in an interview on TNT Radio sparked a backlash.
Speaking to Dan Wootton on GB News after her departure from the show, she said: “Well, if you read all the comments on the article over the weekend, there are a lot of people who think the show is very, very woke.”
After Dan confessed he wasn’t watching the show due to the change in tone, she added: “Well, me neither. The entire mainstream media is very, very woke.”
“You just don’t have to force this stuff on people all the time, it’s not just ITV, the BBC is probably even worse – and when I say that, Channel 4 is probably the worst of them all.” “It’s not a place where I feel like I fit in.”
“And even though you should have debates and see differences of opinion, in the typical woke ideals you don’t really understand it anymore, you’re not allowed to say it, and if you do, you’re either censored” or you’re canceled, like a lot of people had to find out at their expense.’
Referring to ITV, she said: “They come back and say we support free speech, but I can’t see it, I can’t really see it – from where I’m sitting anyway.”
An ITV spokesperson told Web at the time: “Any Covid-related theories that Carol discusses on any platform outside of ITV represent her personal views, were not broadcast as part of Loose Women and do not represent the views of ITV.”
“Here at ITV we promote freedom of expression, but are also fully committed to responsible broadcasting and compliance with the OfCom Code.”
“ITV will not comment on speculation about individual contracts. “We understand that Carol has decided to leave Loose Women and wish her all the best in all future projects.”
Carol’s exit followed former Loose Women star Saira Khan’s exit from the show when she criticized the program during an interview in July.
Speaking to Closer magazine, she said that only Stacey Solomon was allowed to be the fun one on the show and that she was allowed to be the “loud one”.
Saira, 53, who left the show three years ago, said: “I couldn’t be who I wanted to be on TV.” I was seen quite vividly on Loose Women. But that’s the silo they put me in.
“I wanted to have a bit of fun, but it wasn’t for me, it was for Stacey Solomon.” Stacey was the fun one, but I had to be the “loud one.”
“I don’t have to be in environments that I don’t have to be in. I’ve worked hard my whole life. “I did the show and I enjoyed it, but it doesn’t define me.”
Last year Saira claimed her sudden exit from Loose Women was because ITV bosses tried to get her to join OnlyFans.
However, a Loose Women spokesperson told Web at the time: “We strongly reject all of these claims. “Due diligence is of the utmost importance to all of our panellists. Saira left the Loose Women panel almost two years ago and we wish her all the best.”
This came after she told The Mirror: “The straw that broke the camel’s back was when one of the young producers ran after me and asked me if I would be willing to open an OnlyFans account.”
Saira explained: “To say I was shocked was an understatement.” I could tell she was embarrassed herself for asking me. I replied, “Are you asking an Asian woman who has a husband and children and comes from a Muslim family to open an OnlyFans account?”
“You’ve only been posting pictures in your underwear on your social media and we thought if you could go undercover to see what reaction you get from men, it would be a great story.”
“Every now and then I knew my time on the show was up. I felt humiliated, angry, disappointed and like fodder.”
A source close to the ITV show has told Web that OnlyFans and online safety “could always potentially be the subject of an investigation”, explaining: “Loose Women Investigates is a space that has reported on a number of different topics that are relevant to relevant to viewers, including missing people and online safety.’
“Online sites such as Only Fans and their security were often discussed on the show and could be the subject of an investigation at any time.”
Saira claimed she loved presenting on TV but knew she could no longer work in a “toxic” environment for the sake of her own mental health.
However, the source told Web that Saira only had kind things to say to members of the Loose Women production team when she left the show.
They said, “Saira exchanged many heartfelt text and WhatsApp messages and thanked the production members for supporting her so much while working on the program, so the idea that the producers are not supportive is not true.”
“The common thread of Saira’s messages to the production of Loose Women – and there are many – is thanking them for the great support she received while working on the show, which she “will never forget” and for the ongoing ” Kindness.” “That seems to contradict the claims made today.”
Saira also shared how she was asked to have a mold of her vagina made for a Body Stories campaign, but the insider insisted that “Saira is not involved in this campaign or the special program that aired around this campaign was.”
“The award-winning Body Stories campaign tackled the taboo of vaginal dysmorphia back in 2017 and is a campaign we are proud of,” the source said.
Exit: The former panelist previously claimed she was asked to have a mold of her vagina made for a Body Stories campaign
“The goal was to get women talking about vaginal health issues and breaking the stigma of what is ‘normal’ as female genital surgery becomes increasingly popular worldwide.”
The former panelist previously revealed that there were certain women on the show’s judging panel that she “just had to tolerate” in order to “do the job.”
After her departure, Saira blocked Nadia Sawalha, Kaye Adams and Jane Moore from accessing her Instagram posts.
While it was initially believed that the panel trio had unfollowed their former co-star, the source told Web that all three were summarily blocked.