The Voice UK postpones live shows due to coronavirus pandemic

"We are in a developing and dynamic situation so we’re complying with the guidance from Public Health England and the World Health Organisation to make sure we keep everyone as safe and secure as possible," Carolyn McCall, ITV's CEO, explained in a statement.

"We have taken the difficult decision to postpone The Voice UK Semi-Final and Final until later this year. We will continue to monitor the situation and announce a new date for these shows, which were due on air on the 28th March and 4th April, in due course. "

The Voice UK knockouts will continue to be broadcast this weekend (March 21st), as they were pre-recorded, however, the rest of the show, which is filmed live in front of a studio audience, will now follow at a later unspecified date as the pandemic continues.

The final episode will air as planned from 8:30pm and the network are looking in to what they can do to fill the gap now that the live shows are being put on hold.

McCall added: "We are working to produce two bespoke, clip based specials of The Voice UK to air in place of the Semi Final and Final on the 28th March and the 4th April respectively."

ITV made the decision to prioritise the health of their staff as the Government ramps up measures to protect the public during this time.

"The health of our own people and those who work with us remains our priority. I would like to thank everybody for the extra efforts being made in every team across ITV. We are also working closely with our partners in the industry to keep our shows on air," McCall explained.

Insisting that there will still be content on all six ITV channels, the CEO said: "Whatever happens, we will continue to broadcast our six channels, which, between them, offer hundreds of hours of content every week for free and accessible to everyone in the UK.”

As well as The Voice, other shows on the network are also facing changes.

Saturday Night Takeaway will be performed without a live audience for the first time in its history this weekend, and the episode will last only one hour instead of 90 minutes.

Similarly, Britain's Got Talent pre-recorded audition shows are due to be broadcast in the next few weeks as planned, while the company are looking into how they can make the live shows which usually follow work in these times.

Furthermore, contingency plans are being reviewed daily for daytime television shows such as Loose Women and Good Morning Britain.

"Our live Daytime output continues to evolve and contingency plans in place would allow us to air from alternative locations and in more nimble ways - such as guests appearing remotely via other studios or Skype and FaceTime," McCall explained.

The Voice UK Knockouts concludes this weekend on March 21. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV guide.