The facts
Sky News reported on 31 October that VMO2 was drawing up plans to make a substantial proportion of its 16,000-strong workforce redundant in coming months. Sources said the total was not final; one source suggested as many as 4,000 roles could be affected. [1]
The BBC separately reported that thousands of VMO2 staff face redundancy risk, with the number still unsettled. The company declined to comment; the Prospect union said the reported cuts were unsettling and that it would seek to mitigate redundancies and support retraining and redeployment. [2]
VMO2's investor site lists 3 November for its Q3 2026 results. Sky reported that a financial cost-reduction target, rather than a final headcount, was expected at that update. [1][3]
Still unconfirmed
- Whether VMO2 will confirm any redundancies, the final number, timing, locations and roles affected remain unknown.
Sources
References support the numbered facts above. Source checks: 2 Nov 2026, 11:05 UTC.
Sky and the BBC are independently owned newsrooms; the BBC says Sky first reported the story but independently reports that thousands are at risk. Only one Sky source supplies the up-to-4,000 estimate, which is attributed and not presented as settled. The official VMO2 page confirms only the upcoming Q3 results date. The company declined to comment and has not confirmed job cuts.
- Virgin Media O2 to axe thousands of jobs in sweeping shake-up
Sky News · Reporting · 31 Oct 2026
Opened City editor Mark Kleinman's report. The 4,000 figure is an upper estimate from one source; Sky says numbers were not final and VMO2 declined to comment.
- Thousands of jobs at Virgin Media O2 to be cut
BBC News, republished by MyJoyOnline · Reporting · 2 Nov 2026
Opened the BBC-sourced report republished by MyJoyOnline. It independently reports thousands at risk, no final total, the company's no-comment response and the Prospect union's position; it does not independently confirm the 4,000 estimate.
- Q2 2026 financial results and Q3 release date
Virgin Media O2 · Primary source
Opened the company's investor page, which gives 3 November 2026 for Q3 results. It does not confirm the reported redundancies.