Coronation Street has been taken off the air tonight in a surprising shake-up on ITV.
The beloved soap was scrapped from the evening on Monday (January 8), meanwhile it’s ITV rival Emmerdale has been moved to an earlier start time of 7pm. The reason behind the last-minute changes is due to the Wigan vs Manchester United football match in the FA Cup which will hit the airwaves in its place on ITV1.
But Coronation Street fans don’t need to worry because the highly anticipated episode will instead air on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday this week instead of its usual Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule. Emmerdale usually airs at 7.30pm for half an hour each day, with the exception of Thursdays, where it airs for an hour.
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However, tonight, it will air a half an hour at 7pm. Following the surprising news, disgruntled fans flooded to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their frustrations online.
(Image: Richard Saker/REX/Shutterstock)
One user penned: “It’s a poor decision made by ITV and BBC to replace regular programmes with sport that could easily be put on its digital channels. I’m a football fan but not interested in some of the rubbish they put on.”
Another agreed: “I wish ITV would move the spot to either the other ITV channels or better still the sports channels where they belong.” A fourth echoed: “Put it on another channel, not everyone wants to sit and watch the football for three hours. Will miss seeing Coronation Street tonight.”
Meanwhile, a third demanded: “Stop changing the schedules.” Tomorrow’s episode of the soap is set to see Evelyn seeking proof of Terry’s illegal dog breeding, while Dev’s plans to celebrate the twins’ birthday fails to impress.
(Image: ITV)
The schedule changes come after Coronation Street boss Iain MacLeod was promoted to Executive Producer for Continuing Drama, meaning he will now look after both the Manchester and Leeds soap. Speaking of his new role, he said: “I am beyond delighted to be stewarding two shows that I – along with the whole nation – absolutely love.
“They hold such a central role in viewers’ lives and working with the immensely talented teams on either side of the Pennines to cement their position as the best soaps on the telly will be a massive thrill and privilege.
“I have been honing my skills in producer roles for the past decade and I am brimming with ideas for what the next chapter on each show will look like – I can’t wait to get started!” During his time working on Coronation Street, MacLeod has overseen storylines such as Sinead Tinker’s cancer diagnosis and marriage to Daniel Osbourne.
(Image: ITV)
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He also worked closely on the introduction of the Bailey family, and the gripping storyline that followed Geoff’s coercive control of Yasmeen. Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV1 or catch0up on ITVX.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
