Steph's Packed Lunch (2020–2023) User Reviews

Beggars belief this has got a second series

[alanfisher2001 · 3/10 · 18 March 2021]

It makes you realise how hard it is to produce a daily program that can be interesting. I somewhat doubt that Steph jumps out of bed every morning thinking yes and then another episode to do. She deserves an award for trying each day. Then hilariously occasionally Chris kamara appears on another chair and starts asking completely forced questions like he's trying to join in the conversation. Still it's better than watching yet another doing up some more old tat shows that seem to takeover daytime television.

This show is poor

[harrisonhughes-94423 · 3/10 · 21 September 2020]

I've been watching it and it comes across as cringy and taboo. Talking about subjects that are just not interesting and the guests come across like they have stumbled into the wrong studio and stuck with some random women

Stick to businesz

[ccupitt · 3/10 · 22 November 2020]

This show is awful Too much superior competition to make it daytime hit Steph nice personality, but not cut out for this type of format Stick to business Steph Watched once, never again

Dullest presenter ever.

[tomchesterlimited · 1/10 · 10 December 2021]

Steph Mcgovern has got.to he one of the dullest, most inanely boring TV "personality"

How anyone in their right mind thinks this woman is interesting or watchable enough to carry a show is beyond me. She hasn't got enough character to carry a plastic bag.

You can see the producers know this by the sheer amount of support they throw.her way.

Pathetic, C4, please end this crap!

Why

[gordongordon-89589 · 1/10 · 18 February 2022]

Why is this garbage still on TV I thought it must have improved how wrong can you be Steph is so out of her depth and she needs a make over she has no idea how to look good.

Trivial

[yellowyellow-99950 · 2/10 · 9 June 2021]

I've never heard anything good about this programme but had a certain respect for Steph McGovern so turned on (very briefly) today. What on earth has happened to her? False excitement and chumminess, and an interesting doctor interrupted by Katie Price which begs the question why is someone as insignificant as Price a guest. Is it an indication of how badly the programme is thought of by halfway decent people and she's the only level they can attract?

Better than itv. Sorry loose women.

[sophiavidal-89958 · 10/10 · 10 December 2020]

Time to retire loose women. I'm 52 so im not being age offensive.

Amateur Hour

[rob-86932 · 1/10 · 1 May 2020]

I commend the team for putting something together to fill this slot. It can't be easy to produce a daily show when we're in lockdown. I do think it's pretty terrible so far though. My main issue is the quality of the presenter, but she isn't helped by the banality of the content. Steph McGovern used to be a business correspondent for the BBC and I thought she was pretty good there. I had it on each morning and felt that she did a decent job of talking about the markets etc, and she had a nice enough personality etc. All fine. However, I really don't think this new career hosting her own light entertainment show is her forte. Firstly, she radiates uncertainty and unease. I never feel comfortable that she's completely in control and driving the show like I do when I watch the presenters of other morning shows. Next, she doesn't seem to listen to her guests' answers when she interviews them. She asks a (usually boring) question, the guest responds, and rather than building on their response and having a bit of a conversation she says something like "yeah, yeah" and asks something different. There isn't much to talk about in a lockdown but I think a better interviewer would give the viewer at home an interesting conversation to watch. Next, I think she waffles quite a lot. I don't know if she has a script but it feels to me like there is no script and the producers have just said to her "right, we need you to fill these next 3 minutes". She'll start talking about something and by the time she's moving on to the next segment you're not really sure what the point of what she just said was. I think she'd be better if she had a script, memorised it and just read that rather than spouting aimlessly. Maybe the show will improve when it has a live audience and studio guests. I'm sure the absence of that has been a real challenge because it usually makes a show sizzle, and this show definitely doesn't sizzle at the moment. My overall verdict is that this is an amateur production with an amateur presenter that does not deserve its slot on Channel 4.

Etiquette

[sophiavidal-89958 · 10/10 · 10 December 2020]

This is about please and thank you. The way to behave in a polite way. Nothing about class, fashion, or background. Its simply down to behaviour and being the best of yourself.

Is this a joke?

[Mentalandme_ · 1/10 · 17 September 2020]

Just how dumbed down can we go? I'm not sure if the appalling sound quality or the lack of talent irritated me more...no actually it was someone whom apparently is a comedian. Poor old Mr Motivator looked like he was questioning his decision to return to the screen...

well done

[jillybowden · 10/10 · 14 October 2020]

I think the show is great. it is varied, funny and i love the four for a grand at the end. the show has improved day by day, and i look forward to catching up with it every day. . steph is a really good host, she has become a lot more natural with her guests , (she could possibly have more time allocated to her subjects) and gemma atkinson is really good in her part too, she is probably the best assistant for steph. the rapport improves every day i much prefer this to loose women, and i think the layout of the show is making this morning feel dated and staid. it has been about time for a good rival for this morning. i hope packed lunch is here to stay.

Write up my street!

[patriciagrant-48231 · 11 February 2021]

What a fantastic show. I have always watched Loose Women, but turned over one day when I was bored. Now I am hooked every day. It's got plenty of everything you need to hear midday. The job vacancy slots are so helpful and it's a relaxed and funny show with lots of appropriate news items in bite size slots. Steph is so down to earth and her guests show they are real people. I love the format...well done you have converted me. Pat

Really wasnt that bad

[john78657 · 7/10 · 19 April 2024]

The show started of very good was funny but they seem to have removed most of the good parts and funny people near the shows end it was very boring. This was so much better than loose women and was more entertaining. But just dont know why they kept having boring guests and worse segments. As for the main presenter Steph i didnt find her that bad compare to other people she was funny didnt come off as having a big ego. Just a shame that people dont have different choices to watch for lunch time tv. People make it out as something so bad but compare to the other choices at its peak it really wasnt that bad and did things better than other shows.

How low can you go?

[tonymcconomy · 1/10 · 18 December 2021]

This isn't limbo dancing darling. This show is literally the worst of the worst, bottom of the barrel scraping rubbish.

It can barely pull in a few hundred thousand viewing figures. And Simon Cowell is being ripped to shreds for only getting 3 million viewers for his new show.

So how is this cow pat of a show still on air ? It feels like a group of drama school students trying to make a current affairs programme for their uni project. And making a complete mess of it.

Sorry steph time to switch you off. Time to unpack the lunch box and put it in the bin. Terrible.

Really, really bad

[rhysabenjamin · 1/10 · 23 October 2020]

I often catch bits of this whilst waiting for Countdown to come on, and I really think it's the worst program on television. It doesn't know what it wants to be. Loose Women meets The One Show meets Saturday Kitchen meets This Morning, and the result is 100 mind-numbingly dull minutes designed to appeal to the working lunch, but doesn't really appeal to anyone. There are really bad similarities with "All Round to Mrs Brown's", in that the show really doesn't know what it's trying to do. I've never been a fan of McGovern either which doesn't help, and some of her "assistants" are pulled from the "did they really need the money that badly?" pool of celebrity talent. Avoid.

Not working thus far

[studioAT · 2/10 · 3 April 2020]

Steph McGovern jumps ship from BBC to C4 for this chat show.

Is McGovern really well known enough for this? She's likeable yes, but history is littered with likeable people who have fronted chat shows that have gone absolutely nowhere.

If anything thus far she has been outshone by many of her guests.

I watch with interest to see whether this lasts.

Not what you know, but who you know!

[davidadempster · 1/10 · 15 September 2020]

Simply rubbish. What was Channel 4 thinking....... oh yes... Steph's partner of course. The only reason she got the show. Her partner is a TV producer or something big in TV. Steph has never been a presenter. Just a journo and it shows.

I doubt the show will last going into 2021. It is dreadful. Less than 250,000 viewers on the first show. It will be down to 100,000 by next week.

Bring back Johnny Vaughan!

Cheers you up!

[mrsnuman · 10/10 · 4 February 2021]

I thought this show wasn't up to much at first. I've really warmed to it. It's not all doom and gloom. Has a feel good atmosphere and a variety of cooks and guests. I look forward to it every day always guaranteed a laugh.

Big miss for Steph and C4

[justacog · 1/10 · 22 September 2020]

Really bad lunchtime chat show, can't believe Steph moved to C4 for this.

It's really dull, comes across as very amateurish and it pretty cringy to watch

Great Allrounder

[clairetitmus · 10/10 · 2 February 2021]

I really enjoy this show, it's fast paced and full of a great variety of subjects / food / stories / interviews. They're not scared to cover hard hitting subjects. I enjoy the comedy too, it's easy watching compared to the self obsessed presenters on the show on the other side ...

Worst show ever!!!

[Beachlife63 · 1/10 · 19 November 2020]

Stumbled across this whilst enduring lockdown and was keen to watch for the first time, as really like Steph from bbc news and Channel 4 are supposed to be badass - I remember the early Big Breakfast shows with very fond memories! But oh my... the show is not good! It made my eyes and ears bleed it's so bad! It made me write this review (a first for me) it's so bad! It made me feel uncomfortable in my seat it's so bad! Russell Kane has got to be THE least funny comedian on screen! The guy doing the baking was painful to watch. In fact, the whole script was so shockingly bad! It's incredibly patronising, completely lacking in any decent humour and so bad, I'd rather just sit and watch the old tv test card!!

Great daytime variety show

[cemaxis · 10/10 · 25 January 2021]

Found this show a few weeks back and love it- varied topics, funny presenters. All inclusive representation and not afraid to have some fun with it. Cooking, news round up, interviews, topical debate- great format.

Utter Rubbish

[twood-15955 · 1/10 · 18 October 2020]

Thank goodness this dreadful women as gone to channel 4 at least my licence money from the bbc won't be paying her

Personally I think all day time tv should be scrapped but definitely this trash

You know when we say 'rather watch paint dry'..

[reneempx · 1/10 · 3 June 2022]

Pick your paint colour! This is dismal, boring, amateurish and a waste of time and money, considering Channel 4 get funded through the BBC ransom demands.... And keeping her partner's details secret because she believes her private life should be private, while selling stories about their new baby?? Nothing to do with people thinking she only got the job because her partner is a high ranking BBC TV Executive...if it smells of nepotism..looks like nepotism and behaves like nepotism..my money is on nepotism!

Does she actually get paid for this???

[michaelkane1 · 1/10 · 4 March 2021]

I happened to switch the tv on as I was having a break, I was confronted by Steph McGovern hosting her lunchtime show. OMG! This has to be the most mind numbing drivel that has ever been on television. Steph McGovern may be a half decent journalist but a Daytime Host she is NOT. It really is painful to watch, thank god it's not on the BBC, at least we are not paying for it. Channel 4 have some really entertaining programmes, this one ain't! Rubbish.