Coronation Street fans furious as soap is DELAYED by Keir Starmer’s address to the nation

CORONATION Street fans received a double blow this evening when their beloved soap not only started late but there was no double episode.

Corrie fans excited to tune into their favourite soap were disappointed when it started seven minutes late after Labour leader Keir Starmer's address to the nation.

The opposition leader took to the airwaves to tell Brits it was his “patriotic duty” to back PM Boris Johnson's Plan B Covid contingency in the face of the rising cases of the omicron variant.

Starmer used the address to say the Plan B rules, including wearing face masks on public transport would be critical in “supporting the NHS and supporting our country”.

He also took the chance to slam the PM for several Christmas parties held during lockdown last year and also encouraged the “plan to get every adult boosted by the end of the month.”

Starmer's speech aired at 7pm on ITV among other networks and ran for a little more than five minutes.

As a result Monday's episode of Emmerdale was delayed and then Coronation Street started much later than usual.

Fans were livid at the delay and took to Twitter to vent their frustration.

"Why is #corrie on 7 minutes late?" wrote one angry fan.

Another added: "I'm sure members of the street will be waiting for us and wondering why we're all 5 minutes late."

But another group of viewers were confused why there was not a double episode tonight.

A recent scheduling shakeup, the ITV soap will not air double episodes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week.

Instead a new episode will air each night of the soap at 7.30pm, immediately following Emmerdale.

The schedule change is down to ITV airing a full week of new music show Walk the Line at 8pm.

Many fans were not happy their double dose of Corrie was being replaced by a music game show.

"No second episode of #Corrie tonight Bastards,"; raged one fan.

While another complained: "So only one episode of #Corrie tonight to make way for some third rate talent show? Whoever made this decision needs firing, don't mess with our Corrie schedule!:

And a third commented: "I would rather have the extra episode of @itvcorrie than #WalkTheLine!"