Why Steph’s Packed Lunch was cancelled by Channel 4

Here’s why Steph’s Packed Lunch has been cancelled after three years on Channel 4 ahead of the final episode today.

The BAFTA Award-nominated daytime series, will conclude this week with the final episode today (Friday, 8 December).

Presented by Steph McGovern, the program broadcasts live from Leeds Dock each weekday, delivering a daily blend of entertainment, lifestyle insights, current events, celebrity interviews, delectable cuisine, and compelling real-life narratives.

Why Steph’s Packed Lunch was cancelled

In a statement, Channel 4 said it was “incredibly proud” of the show, which started in lockdown almost four years ago, but added it faced “difficult decisions” about programming.

“We’re so grateful to Steph, Expectation, Can Can and the brilliant production team for creating a show that kick started our growth in the north of England,” a statement read.

They continued: “Steph has not only made the nation’s lunchtimes more entertaining and brilliantly reflected the views and pre-occupations of the country, but the show has also been an outstanding springboard for developing local talent behind the scenes.

“However, with audience habits changing quicker than ever, we have to make difficult decisions about which programmes to invest in to best drive our digital-first strategy and we have decided not to recommission Steph’s Packed Lunch when its existing production contract ends in December 2023.”

They added: “We remain as committed as ever to our mission to help level up the TV industry outside London and to our 50% origination out of London target.

“We will be reinvesting the budget previously committed to Steph’s Packed Lunch into other Nations and Regions productions. We have almost 500 roles outside of London and this will continue to increase over the next few years.

“We will continue to build on the legacy of the show, evolving what we do in line with our digital ambitions whilst continuing to reflect the lives of, and give a voice to, all our audiences across the UK and hope to work with Steph on other projects soon.”

Final episode today

The series will conclude after more than 600 episodes today, (Friday 8 December) from 12PM.

Steph’s joined by an on-screen family of well-known faces, including Reverend Kate Bottley, Gareth Thomas, Denise Van Outen, Alan Johnson, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Dane Baptiste and Luke Kempner, to discuss the hot topics of the day.

And in the kitchen, John Whaite, Ruby Bhogal, Freddy Forster and Simon Rimmer are among the chefs offering up recipes for a delicious lunchtime delight

You can catch up with recent episodes online now via the All 4 player here.