Soap wipeout as Coronation Street and Emmerdale are pulled from screens in schedule shake-up – and new drama loses its regular slot mid-series
ITV‘s soaps are facing a wipeout ahead of another dramatic schedule shake-up on the broadcaster.
Fans have already been left frustrated after the Cheltenham Festival wreaked havoc on the channel’s running order this week.
Tipping Point – hosted by Ben Shephard, Loose Women and Lingo have all been removed from the schedule to make room for the horse racing event.
And things are not about to improve, with both Coronation Street and Emmerdale set to be pulled from screens later this month to make room for another sporting competition.
On March 24, the channel is set to be taken over by the UEFA Nations League, which will see England’s football team take on Latvia at Wembley in new manager Thomas Tuchel‘s first game in charge.
The international fixture will be a mouthwatering prospect for Three Lions fans, but will leave soap obsessives with a huge hole in their evening viewing.
Coronation Street is set to be pulled from screens later this month to make room for England’s UEFA Nations League match
Emmerdale is also affected and is expected to return to air on Tuesday March 25 but there is still mystery surrounding when Coronation Street will continue
Protection, which starts on Monday and stars Siobhan Finneran (pictured, with Andrew Knott), will have its second episode delayed to make way for the sport
Emmerdale is expected to return to air on Tuesday March 25, but there is still mystery surrounding when Coronation Street will continue.
And that’s not all – the football will push back ITV’s new drama halfway through the series.
Protection, which starts on Monday and stars Siobhan Finneran, will have its second episode delayed to make way for the sport.
It comes after Coronation Street star Shelley King revealed the real reason she left the soap after her character was axed.
The actress, 65, starred as fan favourite character Yasmeen Metcalfe on the soap since 2014 and, in a new clip shared to the soap’s official Instagram, said: ‘I’ve been so privileged to be living in number six.
‘I’ve had the most wonderful time. I’m very sad to be leaving. I just felt I’d have to try going back to the stage.’
Hinting at a possible return, she added: ‘So, as you know, Yas is going to do other things but she will not say goodbye.’
‘She will say, as the French do, a bientot, which means, see you soon. Somewhere, somehow.’
Fans have already been left frustrated after the Cheltenham Festival wreaked havoc on the channel’s running order this week
On March 24, the channel is set to be taken over by the Nations League which will see England’s football team take on Latvia in new manager Thomas Tuchel’s first game
It was previously reported that Shelley has decided to leave her role on the soap to explore other projects.
Shelley is said to have approached producers in early 2024 to share her desire to leave the show after 10 years of playing the same character – and she filmed her finals scenes in December.
Her exit marks the sixth cast departure in just two months, after several other cast members also announced they were either quitting or had been written out.
It appears the ITV soap is in trouble due to an alleged cash crisis and a revolt from the cast over poor working conditions and low salaries.
Since November, Charlotte Jordan, Sue Cleaver, Sue Devaney, Colson Smith, and Luca Toolan — have all announced they will be leaving the show.
Other actors have reportedly vented their fury on a WhatsApp group over fears they could be next.
According to The Sun, Thursday’s 9pm to 10pm episode was watched by 2.5 million people – just ten percent of the 27million who watched Hilda Ogden’s farewell in its 1987 heyday.
