Chiles and Bleakely Daybreak axe would cost millions

A newspaper report claims axing Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley from ITV’s struggling Daybreak would cost millions.

The Mirror claims that axing the two former One Show presenters from the morning magazine show would cost ITV £4 million pounds. That’s because both presenters have clauses in their contract requiring a £2 million pay out each if they are let go before their three-year deals are over – reports The Mirror.

“We got stiffed on the deal. We can’t pay them millions for nothing. It’s a common thing in television.The original faces on GMTV didn’t work, it was only when it was overhauled after six months on air that they became successful. The same needs to be done here. People have had a look at Christine and Adrian in the mornings and said, ‘No thanks’. There was too much hype and fanfare about them. The show is horribly underperforming and needs to be fixed. We spent £15 million on Daybreak and we’ve gone backwards. It needs sorting. But Christine and Adrian are an expensive headache” – An “insider” quoted in The Mirror

Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley were both tempted away from the BBC and weekday magazine programme The One Show to spearhead ITV’s overhaul of its breakfast line-up. GMTV, which launched in the 1990s, was dumped by ITV because the broadcaster felt its reputation and brand had been damaged by the phone-in scandals. ITV had high hopes that Daybreak would be a huge success but they were quickly dashed when ratings tumbled – below previous lows of GMTV.

ITV have admitted – earlier this year – that Daybreak isn’t performing as they would have hoped but an ITV spokesperson denied there were any plans to change the presenting team.