Sunday Brunch has been pulled from Channel 4’s schedule at the last minute due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The chat show, hosted by Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer, was due to air on Sunday at 9:30am but was taken from the schedule amid heath concerns for the crew.
The Sunday Brunch’s Instagram account uploaded a statement confirming the show had been taken off air for the time being.
Cancellation: Sunday Brunch has been pulled from Channel 4’s schedule at the last minute due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic
It read: ‘We are sad to say that Sunday Brunch will not be on this morning as billed.
‘We put the health and safety of our team above all else and cannot at this time record the show without risk to our presenters and crew.
‘We very much hope to be back live on Sundays soon.’
Guests for the abruptly cancelled episode were set to be Richard Blackwood, Jamie Bamber, Jimmy Akingbola and Fleur East.
Decision: The Sunday Brunch’s Instagram account uploaded a statement confirming the show had been taken off air for the time being
Health: The chat show, hosted by Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer, was due to air on Sunday at 9:30am but was taken from the schedule amid heath concerns for the crew
An old episode of Food Unwrapped starring Jimmy Doherty aired at 9:30am as a replacement for the chat show, before a repeat of Come Dine With Me at 10:30am.
Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA completes the stand-in line-up at 11:30am before a return to scheduled programming at 12:30pm.
Several fans of the series took to social media to react to the show being pulled at the last minute.
While many were sad to not be able to enjoy the show, all viewers agreed TV bosses had made the right decision.
Reaction: Several fans of the series took to social media to react to the show being pulled at the last minute and all agreed it was the right decision
One fan said: ‘We would all rather you guys are safe. You’ll be missed,’ while another added: ‘Right thing to do, stay safe.’
Another viewer wrote: ‘Just switched on and noticed you’re not on the planner. Stay safe and see you on the other side.’
Another said: ‘Sensible decision even though Sunday morning will not be the same but nothing is the same right now.’
Ghost town: On Saturday, Sunday Brunch presenter Simon had taken to Twitter and remarked on how deserted London seemed as the pandemic continues to rage across Britain
Back soon: Reacting to the news of the show being pulled off air, Simon said: ‘Sad day we couldn’t broadcast. But safety comes first. Back asap
On Saturday, Sunday Brunch presenter Simon had taken to Twitter and remarked on how deserted London seemed as the pandemic continues to rage across Britain.
He wrote: ‘Driven to that London for @SundayBrunchC4 it was a pleasant country drive. Now London is a ghost town. Tough times but it’s the only way to beat it.’
Reacting to the news of the show being pulled off air, Simon said: ‘Sad day we couldn’t broadcast. But safety comes first. Back asap.
Sunday Brunch is far from the only programme that has been affected by the coronavirus crisis.
ITV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale are also reducing their number of weekly episodes in a bid to ration shows they’ve already filmed.
The station also confirmed members of the cast aged over 70s are being written out over coronavirus pandemic as bosses ‘adhere to all government guidelines.’
Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway aired without a studio audience for the first time this weekend, and Loose Women has also aired without a studio audience.
Meanwhile, several other shows include Holby City, Casualty and The Only Way Is Essex have halted filming altogether.
Several sporting events, gigs and other social gatherings have been either cancelled or postponed due to the crisis.
While many shows are struggling amid the crisis, TV viewing figures have soared as more people than ever are staying home.
Schedule: An old episode of Food Unwrapped starring Jimmy Doherty aired at 9:30am as a replacement for the chat show, before a repeat of Come Dine With Me at 10:30am
With thousands all over the country isolating themselves and practicing social distancing to combat the killer pandemic, ratings are climbing, people keen to keep themselves updated on the latest news while also indulging in some nostalgia.
On Saturday, The Two Ronnies: The Unseen Sketches aired on Channel 5 with 500,000 people tuning in to watch.
The BBC revealed that nine million people tuned into the Six O’Clock News on Wednesday, the highest figure seen since Christmas Day 2008 and more than twice the average audience seen in 2019, which is 4.2 million.
ITV, meanwhile, saw ratings for its litany of daytime TV shows soar, with viewers from all over the UK tuning in for news on the coronavirus outbreak.
Channel 4’s audience, meanwhile, has ‘doubled’ in recent days.
News editor Ben de Pear said: ‘Our TV viewership has effectively doubled in the past ten days and we have the biggest social media following of any UK news programme, illustrating a staggering demand for the news met by a staggering lack of government engagement.’
The coronavirus has killed 233 people and infected 5,018 in Britain so far, with both tolls rising rapidly every day.
Production: Sunday Brunch is far from the only programme that has been affected by the coronavirus crisis as several shows have had to halt filming