ITV legend announces departure after 27 years in sad news for Emmerdale fans

ITV has delivered some bittersweet news to dedicated Emmerdale and Coronation Street viewers on Wednesday 14 May, announcing the retirement of a truly esteemed member of their team.

After an impressive 27-year stint with ITV and a remarkable 40 years in the world of telly, John Whiston, the Managing Director of Continuing Drama and Head of ITV in the North, is set to hang up his hat.

During his tenure, John has masterfully guided hit soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale, playing a pivotal role in their success. He’s also been instrumental in shepherding beloved series such as A Touch of Frost, Heartbeat, Lewis, Vera, and The Chase.

In a statement by ITV reflecting on John Whiston’s legacy, it says: “Under his leadership both soaps have not only entertained millions, surprised their audiences with everything from floods to motorway pile ups to live tram crashes, they have influenced change through many issue-based storylines such as those concerning domestic abuse, suicide and mental health issues.”

In a nod to the cultural impact of Coronation Street they added: “Coronation Street’s societal contribution was recognised in an Adjournment Debate in the House of Commons to celebrate its record breaking 60th Anniversary year”, reports Leicestershire Live.

John’s keen eye for talent has seen him initiate Original Voices to discover writers from various backgrounds, alongside launching the annual Tony Warren Bursary, which allows a Northern student from a diverse socio-economic background the chance to study at drama school.

ITV notes that John’s retirement will commence at the end of this month as he prepares to pass the mantle to Iain MacLeod and Matt Cleary.

Iain, who has been at the helm as Executive Producer for Continuing Drama, has climbed the ranks to become Creative Director with total editorial oversight of both Emmerdale and Coronation Street’s creative units.

Matt steps up as Chief Operating Officer for Continuing Drama, focusing on the smooth execution of day-to-day operations and greenlighting soap commercials. This is in addition to his existing responsibilities as Director of Production, UK Scripted at ITV Studios.

John reflected on his retirement with a candid statement: “I’ve always said I’ve got the best job in TV. I used to say it privately in case ITV stopped paying me.

“It has been nothing short of an honour, as well as a blast, to work on the Soaps this last decade or so. We’ve had joy, we’ve had fun and we’ve had seasons in the Sun. We’ve also had misery and mayhem. We’ve had motorway crashes, tram crashes and floods. We’ve had stories which have squeezed your heart till tears came out of your eyes.

“And we’ve covered pretty much anything and everything that people have to face in their own lives and we’ve done that with care and humanity. And all that is down to the 600 or so people – the writers, crew, cast and editorial – who have kept the show on air and at an incredible quality day in day out. And it’s them who have made my job ridiculously easy. Just don’t tell ITV.

“With the appointment of Iain MacLeod as Creative Director and Matt Cleary as Chief Operating Officer and with fantastic stories in place for the move to five episodes a week next January, and a never-before-seen mega mash-up between the two shows, the future for our ITV Soaps is set fair. So it’s the right time to leave and for me just to say thank you… to colleagues, to ITV and to our loyal, appreciative audience.”

Emmerdale continues every weeknight at 7:30pm on ITV and ITV X with hour-long specials on Thursday.

While Coronation Street continues on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV and ITV X.