AT a time when TV bosses are scrambling for viewers, there’s one programme that’s bucking the trend – and no wonder, with none other than Susanna Reid at its helm.
Now, more people are waking up with her than ever before – and they’re getting to enjoy her company for even longer, as Good Morning Britain has been given a whopping four-hour slot.
Susanna Reid says ‘its valuable that women can be punchy, assertive and not hold back’ Credit: photographed for fabulous by Mark hayman
Susanna with Ed Balls on Good Morning Britain Credit: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
“In a world where everybody’s facing challenges, it’s fantastic to see green arrows,” she admits.
“We are regularly up, year on year. I’m really proud of the team – they’ve worked so hard and it is pretty extraordinary. I still love it so much. Since I’ve been at the programme, it’s got longer and longer.
“When I started, it began at 6am and ended at 8.30am, now it’s 6am to 10am. It must be the longest live programme on television.”
There’s no doubt ITV has been in turmoil recently, with massive job cuts, as well as moving to a smaller studio in central London shared by GMB, Loose Women and Lorraine.
There have been tales of people being squeezed into dressing rooms, but Susanna puts a positive spin on it all.
“The new studio is brilliant,” she declares. “The move has been really good.
“We had a couple of. . . Let’s say, teething issues.
“But if you go back to the days when I was presenting with Piers [Morgan] at the beginning of GMB and look at the desk that we used to present on, it was tiny.
“Piers and I were all squashed up together. Then, of course, Covid meant we had to be spread out, so we moved to the Starship Enterprise desk, which was massive.
“Now, some viewers are saying: ‘Oh, the cuts mean you have cut back on the desk,’ but we’re not even as close as we were originally. We are able to interview people now in an intense scenario.”
That’s not to say every broadcast goes without a hitch.
On the first day of GMB’s new four-hour runtime – which is in place for 22 weeks of the year, mainly over school holidays, when Lorraine takes a break – they had to evacuate the building.
“There was a fire alarm!” she says. “But we’re in live broadcasting, so we’re used to rolling with what happens. We filmed outside.”
There was another drama the day before our cover shoot, when Susanna accidentally got locked out after she popped to the loo during an ad break.
“You need to make sure you’ve taken your security pass with you.
Yesterday, I didn’t – as I walked towards the locked security door in front of the studio, I thought: ‘How am I going to get back into the studio?’
Susanna leaves most MPs trembling in the wake of her ferocious questioning Credit: photographed for fabulous by Mark hayman
Susanna gets up at 3.35am every morning Credit: photographed for fabulous by Mark hayman
“Are we going to face a moment where Ed [Balls, her co-presenter] is on his own and I’m just in this corridor knocking on the door?”’ she says.
“Luckily, because we’ve got quite a lot of workmen around, someone opened the door, and I thought: ‘Oh, marvellous!’”
It’s precisely this unflappable attitude that makes Susanna so formidable.
An incredibly skilled journalist, she leaves most MPs trembling in the wake of her ferocious questioning.
“I often get people coming up to me and saying that we’re role models for young women,” she admits. “I really like that.
“I do think it’s valuable that we can, as women, be punchy and assertive and not hold back and say it how we believe it is.
“What I love about Good Morning Britain is that we can be opinionated. As long as it’s balanced, you can express your opinion and be strong and powerful. I want to make sure people are informed and aware.
“And when it comes to holding politicians to account, which I think we do brilliantly, it’s always being on alert for the tricks that politicians have.
Susanna Reid with former co-host Piers Morgan in 2016 Credit: Getty
(L-R) Laura Tobin, Charlotte Hawkins, Kate Garraway, Susanna and Ranvir Singh Credit: Alan West/Hogan Media/Shutterstock
“Sometimes people will say: ‘Oh, stop interrupting,’ or: ‘You didn’t let that person speak.’
“But as a news interviewer, you will be able to hear when a politician is deflecting, not answering the question, or attempting to answer a question you haven’t asked.
“I’ve been doing this for 30 years, so I just steer them back.”
Ever the optimist, Susanna says that another benefit of moving studios is that it’s easier for her to hit her daily 10k steps.
“The good thing about the new building is that it gives me 2,500 extra steps every day, because there is a longer walk between different parts of the building.”
With her alarm going off at the shockingly early hour of 3.35am, it’s not surprising Susanna is keen to get the exercise in where she can.
“I have three alarms – 3.35am, 3.40am and 3.45am – then I switch it off and get out of bed, and I’m in the car by 4am.
“I just embrace it as it’s an essential part of the job. There are plenty of people working at that time of the morning and you’re just part of that flow.
“There’s something really wonderful about it – you aren’t distracted by anything else. You are completely focused.”
Today, Susanna is wearing an Oura ring, which tracks her exercise and sleep.
Has she become obsessed with the quality of her sleep, especially when she gets so little?
“Yes,” she laughs. “I nap during the day when I come home from work – I don’t sit on the sofa watching TV.
Kelly Allen poses with GMB’s Susanna Credit: Mark Hayman
What was the last. . .
TV show you watched?
Secret Service on ITVX – it’s brilliant, and not just because GMB is in it.
Thing you bought?
I just bought three books on Amazon. I’m obsessed with buying books.
Text you sent?
To Ranvir, who was on air this morning. I’m not telling you what I said!
Time you laughed?
Now – you are hilarious!
Time you cried?
When I was interviewing journalist Sophie Raworth and she talked about her dad dying. I could feel the tears coming. I’m not afraid to show emotion.
Show you saw?
Paddington The Musical, and it was so good.
“I go to bed between 12pm and 2pm, and then I get up and have lunch.
“So I double-check to make sure that I’ve had a decent chunk of sleep and my nap has been added. I get about seven hours.
“The main thing I use it for is my steps. I always have a walk after work, because you get sluggish if you don’t move your body.
“I walk for two miles every day and I do a 10-minute workout every day, too. I just go on YouTube and I do it in my room before I get in the shower.
“It’s one of those things with exercise – if you are not that way inclined, like me, you need to reduce the obstacles.
“I used to go to the gym and run a lot. I would do marathons, 10ks and Park Runs, but I don’t do that any more, so I have to keep my body moving.
“I am quite disciplined about that, but it is not three gym sessions a week.
“I should do that, but I don’t have the energy for it. I don’t want to criticise myself, I don’t want to beat myself up – I don’t think women should.
“I don’t really drink. I try to eat healthily. I try to do the little things.”
While, over the years, other ITV shows like This Morning and Loose Women have had to weather rumours of behind-the-scenes fighting, the Good Morning Britain crew have always given the impression that they all genuinely like each other and enjoy working together.
“It isn’t about one presenter or one partnership,” she says. “The programme is a team effort.
“This morning, Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley were firing on all cylinders.
“And Fridays with Kate and Ranvir Singh have been a massive success.
“It’s good for all of us, because for a programme to be successful, you want every single day to be successful. And that’s absolutely what it is.
“Whenever I’m not on air, I always watch Good Morning Britain and text the team like: ‘I love that interview, that question was brilliant,’ or: ‘I love your shirt.’
“I think it’s so important to support your peers, your friends, your team. And also, I just love watching the programme.”
Away from the show, the team have all been there for each other through their highs and lows, most notably Kate who lost her husband Derek Draper in January 2024, following long-term health complications from Covid.
Rumours recently broke that Kate had grown close to broadcaster and economist Liam Halligan, a friend of her late-husband, but Susanna is remaining tight-lipped about it.
“I honestly know nothing.” she says, shaking her head.
“I can’t even comment. All I would say is, we all love Kate. And she is our Bridget Jones – we just love her. And whatever makes Kate happy.
“She’s probably one of the most popular presenters on television, full stop, she’s just brilliant at everything she does.
“You know, she’s brilliant at doing interviews, she’s brilliant at being Spaghetti Bolognese on The Masked Singer, and also being ‘flabbergasted’ on Celebrity Traitors. She’s just 100% brilliant.”
Speaking of the BBC1 show, will we see Susanna following in Kate’s footsteps by entering the famous castle?
“I can neither confirm nor deny when it comes to Celebrity Traitors,” she answers rather coyly.
“The thing is, if you’re involved in The Traitors, you wouldn’t be able to say if you’re involved in The Traitors.
“And if you’re not involved in The Traitors, then you might not want to say you’re not involved in The Traitors!”
Susanna is equally discreet when it comes to her own love life, but the men she is very happy to talk about are her three sons – Sam, 24, Finn, 22, and Jack, 21 – whom she shares with ex-partner Dominic Cotton.
Despite them being all grown-up, there is no empty nest for the TV star yet, as they all still live with her in her south London home.
“I have my three adult sons at home. They haven’t gone anywhere,” she laughs.
“The youngest is at uni, but comes home obviously when he’s not in term time.
“University courses don’t go for very long, so he’s back at uni now, but will be home again in a couple of weeks. At some point they will go, but at the moment it’s quite hard in London.
That’s their decision when they are ready to do it. But while they’re not ready to do it, they are free to come and go as they please.
Although, I seem to do most of the cooking – I absolutely love it when they say: ‘Oh, your carbonara is the best.’
“I’m a sucker for that, because I don’t think I’m a particularly good cook.
“I’ve got such a great relationship with my boys, I absolutely love it. Being a mum is my number-one priority.”
Watch Good Morning Britain from 6am every weekday.
