Steph McGovern’s Christmas holiday is officially over, as she has returned to work following the cancellation of Packed Lunch.
After 675 episodes and a BAFTA nomination, the Channel 4 show, which aired live from Leeds and featured celebrity interviews, food segments, and discussion of the day’s events, ended on December 8.
The 41-year-old is now focusing on other ventures, including her Radio 4 comedy panel programme The Ultimate Choice and podcast The Rest Is Money, which she co-hosts with journalist Robert Peston. They educate listeners on all things money.
On her first 2024 podcast interview, Sarah left her Leeds studio for a very significant location in London: 10 Downing Street!
‘First day back at work. A bit different from my usual hang out…..,’ she wrote next to a selfie with the famous door on X, formerly Twitter.
Sharing the same photo on Instagram, she wrote: ‘Resisted the urge to play knock-a-door-run…..or as us Boro folk called it: ‘nicky knocky ido’ – actually writing that name down now sounds absolutely ridiculous! Where did that come from?! Anyone know?’
First day back at work. A bit different from my usual hang out….. pic.twitter.com/1184WRefNj
— Steph McGovern (@StephLunch) January 8, 2024
People who missed Steph’s Packed Lunch swiftly flocked to the comment sections to express their hope that she will be there for the show.
‘I hope you are canvassing to put Steph’s packed lunch back on the T.V. We really miss it,’ wrote fan Mary Moore 9000.
Instagram user Birdhouse_and_bench added: ‘Petition to get Packed Lunch back on telly’.
Simon Websterwise typed: ‘Missed you today. You can’t replace a show which discusses everything under the rainbow carefully and lovingly with Who’s a rotten hotelier on a loop…’
Unfortunately for them, Steph was at the area to meet with Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, to pick his brain about money for her show.
The topics were instead ‘life in biz (before politics), what he learnt, especially from his failures (trying to sell marmalade in Japan). Plus productivity, skills, taxes +his love of dancing the Lambada’.
Unfortunately for them, Steph was there to see the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy HLast year, Steph finished the final broadcast of Steph’s Packed Lunch with a short, but heartfelt sign-off.nt, to pick his brain on money for her podcast.
‘Thank you for watching, thank you for everyone who’s been on the show,’ she told viewers at home.
‘I’ve loved it, and I am glad you have to. That is all from us here in Leeds. Look after yourselves, and goodbye!’
In a subsequent social media post, she commended her team for creating ‘a Northern powerhouse’ that provided many individuals with their first opportunities to work in television.
Channel 4 previously claimed that Steph’s Packed Lunch was discontinued owing to their “digital-first strategy” and their intention to prioritise investing in programming that contributed to its success.
The statement continued: ‘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.’
In a statement, a Channel 4 spokesperson said they were ‘incredibly proud of all that Steph’s Packed Lunch has achieved since its launch from Steph’s living room during lockdown nearly four years ago’.
Steph’s Packed Lunch, originally known as The Steph Show, debuted in March 2020, little than a week after the first Covid-19 pandemic lockdown began.
Source My Celebrity Life.