ITV’s flagship breakfast programme Good Morning Britain was forced off the air 20 minutes ahead of schedule this morning following an emergency evacuation of the studio.
Presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls were hosting the Monday edition when the unexpected incident disrupted the channel’s daytime broadcasting.
The show, which typically runs until 9am but has been extended to 10am for the next seven weeks, came to an abrupt halt as staff were required to leave the building.
The sudden departure threw ITV’s morning schedule into disarray, with producers scrambling to fill the unexpected gap in programming. A fire alarm triggered the evacuation, according to reports.
During the broadcast, Ms Reid informed viewers that she could hear an alarm sounding through her earpiece.
The presenter turned to the production team, querying whether she and those appearing on camera were required to take any action in response.
Shortly afterwards, the programme cut away to a commercial break. It was the last viewers would see of the GMB studio that morning, as the show failed to return following the advertisements.
The alarm Ms Reid detected through her earpiece was later confirmed to be a fire alarm that led to the building’s evacuation.
When the broadcast resumed after the advertisements, viewers were instead greeted by This Morning hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard.
However, the pair appeared momentarily unprepared for their early start. “They’re not coming back or they are coming back?” Ms Deeley asked as she adjusted her microphone, unaware she was on air.
Mr Shephard then chipped in to ask This Morning producers: “What are we doing?”
After the brief technical hiccup, the programme commenced properly, running 20 minutes earlier than its scheduled slot.
BREAKING: On the first day where #GMB was supposed to run all the way to 10am (#Lorraine is off for seven weeks), ITN Studios in London has been evacuated, forcing #GMB off air.
ITV cut to #ThisMorning studio (without Ben and Cat realising they were on air), before eventually…
— TV Zone (@tvukzone) March 9, 2026
Ms Deeley and Mr Shephard addressed the unusual circumstances, confirming to audiences that their colleagues in the Good Morning Britain studio had been required to evacuate the premises due to the fire alarm activation.
“We are hopefully going to find 20 minutes worth of content,” Mr Shephard joked as he acknowledged the unusual circumstances.
Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard had to step in
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ITVGuest Gyles Brandreth was on hand to fill somewhat, providing a few minutes of content as he shared how he celebrated his birthday over the weekend.
Chef Clodagh McKenna also chipped in, discussing with the ITV hosts her fondness for new drama, The Love Story.
