Coronation Street and Emmerdale slash episodes in huge soap shake up amid ITV budget cuts

ITV is dramatically slashing its soap schedule as Coronation Street and Emmerdale struggle under a cash crisis.

Currently, Emmerdale airs six episodes per week, Monday to Friday with a double episode on Thursdays.

Coronation Street also airs six episodes per week, spread across Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with two episodes each night.

Now just five 30-minute episodes of each soap will air.

And ITV will screen a daily “soap power hour” with two back-to-back 30 minute episodes.

A source said: “Soaps are incredibly important to ITV and this is about preserving their longevity for the future.

“There has been a super squeeze in production costs and it was necessary to make changes but Corrie and Emmerdale both remain integral to ITV.”

The “soap power hour” will also air later in the day.

Insiders at the channel say it will help make both Emmerdale and Coronation Street more “streaming-friendly”.

The new structure will launch with a huge stunt on both soaps.

A source added that ITV will still broadcast more hours of soap each week than any other channel.

It comes after a string of big name stars quit Coronation Street and many have called out the budget crisis which has left them struggling to make ends meet.

ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment Kevin Lygo explained in a statement: “The new commissioning pattern is viewer-led.

“We already give more choice than ever to viewers on how they watch us through ITVX and we want to present their favourite soap to them, in the most digestible way.

“In a world where there is so much competition for viewers' time and attention, and viewing habits continue to change, we believe this is the right amount of episodes that fans can fit into their viewing schedule, to keep up to date with the shows.

“Research insights also show us that soap viewers are increasingly looking to the soaps for their pacey storytelling.

“Streaming-friendly, 30 minute episodes better provide the opportunity to meet viewer expectations for storyline pace, pay-off and resolution."

He continued: “Whilst viewing is growing on ITVX, we know a significant proportion of our soaps’ audience still watch us via the schedule. This new pattern is in the DNA of the soap genre - nobody else does 30 minute drama this successfully.

“It creates a soap power hour that's consistent, and easy to find in the linear schedule, for the UK’s biggest soaps."

Lygo also hinted at cuts to jobs behind the scenes but said ITV will do its best to “to mitigate the impact on our people”.

He added: “This new commissioning pattern will mean five hours of soaps a week, rather than the current six.

“We are conscious this will have an impact for the people who work on the soaps team.

“We will support our colleagues in ITV Studios as they work through these changes, and will do what we can to mitigate the impact on our people."

He went on: “These changes are motivated by doing what we believe is best for the continuing success of these important programmes in the long term.

“They also create headroom in the overall programme budget for investment in programming that can help ITV grow reach in a very very competitive market.”

LATER EPISODES

At the moment, Emmerdale airs from 7pm or 7.30pm and Coronation Street airs from 8pm.

From next year, ITV will introduce a soaps power hour Mondays to Fridays.

The first half hour will be 30 minute Emmerdale episodes airing at 8pm, and the second half will be 30 minute Coronation Street episodes at 8.30pm.

Episodes will continue to drop at 7am online at ITVX.

STAR EXITS

This comes after a string of Corrie stars — Helen North, Charlotte Jordan, Sue Cleaver, Sue Devaney, Colson Smith, and Luca Toolan — have announced they are leaving or being written out since November 2024.

Actor Seamus McGoff has also seemingly confirmed that he has left the soap, amid the ongoing cast exodus.

Insiders said rising costs and falling advertising revenue has piled on pressure.

Cobbles boss Kate Brooks warned last month she is set to axe characters including “some unexpected ones that will send shockwaves”.

Actress Susan Cookson - who plays nurse Wendy Posner in Emmerdale - has also been given the chop after seven years and she has filmed her final scenes.

Meanwhile, Emmerdale legend Dean Andrews' character Will Taylor was brutally killed off last year.

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