ITV viewers have been left seething after discovering that Emmerdale and Coronation Street will be missing from screens next week, with regular episodes pulled

to make way for major sporting events. The decision has reignited an already simmering backlash among soap fans, many of whom feel their loyalty is being repeatedly

tested by schedule shake-ups, reduced episode counts, and now outright cancellations.

For decades, Coronation Street and Emmerdale have been cornerstones of British television, shaping evening routines and family conversations across generations. But next week, fans will be forced to go without their usual fix as ITV clears primetime slots for live sport — a move that has sparked outrage across social media and fan forums.

The disruption comes on the heels of significant changes already introduced at the beginning of the year. In January, ITV reduced both soaps from six episodes a week to five, citing budget constraints and changing viewing habits. At the same time, the broadcaster launched its much-hyped “soap power hour,” a new scheduling format that saw Emmerdale air at 8pm every weekday, followed immediately by Coronation Street at 8.30pm.

The revamped schedule was unveiled with fanfare, kicked off by a special crossover event dubbed Corriedale, which brought characters from both soaps together in a rare shared storyline. ITV promised the new structure would offer tighter storytelling, better pacing, and a more consistent viewing experience.

However, while some viewers embraced the streamlined format, others were far from convinced. And now, with episodes being dropped entirely next week, frustration has boiled over.

Next Tuesday, ITV will air live coverage of an EFL clash between Arsenal and Chelsea, replacing the soap power hour entirely. Two days later, on Thursday, a Six Nations rugby showdown between France and Ireland will once again push Emmerdale and Coronation Street off the schedule. As a result, fans will lose two episodes of each soap in a single week — a blow many say is unacceptable.

“This is stupid,” one angry viewer wrote on social media. “They’ve only just launched the soap power hour, cut us down to five episodes a week, and now they’re cancelling episodes altogether.”

Another fan echoed the sentiment, warning of a worrying trend. “So they went from six episodes to five, and now every other week it feels like we’re losing another one. By 2026, how many episodes will we really be getting compared to before?”

For long-time viewers, the issue isn’t just about missing episodes — it’s about erosion. Many fans feel that soaps, once treated as ITV’s crown jewels, are being steadily sidelined in favour of sports and one-off events.

“I’m fed up of soaps being cancelled because of football,” one commenter complained. “Can’t they put these games on a dedicated channel instead?”

Another added: “There are very few shows I actually make time to watch anymore, and even those keep getting shunted around. It’s exhausting.”

Some viewers pointed out that in previous years, episodes displaced by sport would often be moved to alternative time slots. Now, they argue, the default seems to be simple cancellation. “We used to get episodes shifted to later times,” one fan wrote. “Now it’s just… nothing.”

The backlash highlights the delicate balancing act ITV is trying to maintain as it navigates a rapidly changing television landscape. Coronation Street, which first aired in 1960, and Emmerdale, which began life as a daytime soap in 1972, have both survived countless schedule changes over the decades. They’ve expanded and contracted episode counts, shifted time slots, and adapted to new platforms.

In the modern era, viewers can now stream episodes from 7am on the day of broadcast via ITVX and YouTube, a flexibility ITV often cites as justification for linear schedule disruptions. But for many fans, that argument doesn’t hold water.

“There’s something about watching soaps live, as part of a routine,” one viewer argued. “Streaming isn’t the same.”

ITV has previously defended the new soap power hour as a “viewer-led” decision. In a statement released last year, the broadcaster confirmed that from January 2026, both soaps would continue airing in 30-minute episodes across five nights a week, totalling five hours of soap content weekly instead of six.

Kevin Lygo, ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, explained the rationale at the time, saying the new model was designed to fit modern viewing habits. According to ITV’s research, viewers increasingly prefer faster-paced, more digestible episodes that align with streaming consumption patterns.

Lygo also acknowledged that while ITVX viewership is growing, a significant proportion of the soaps’ audience still relies on the traditional broadcast schedule — making consistency crucial.

Yet it’s precisely that consistency fans feel is slipping away.

While ITV insists the changes are motivated by long-term sustainability and budget realities, viewers argue that repeated interruptions risk damaging the soaps’ emotional momentum. Cliffhangers lose impact. Storylines feel fragmented. And the shared experience of communal viewing begins to erode.

For soaps built on habit, continuity, and emotional investment, those disruptions matter deeply.

As next week approaches, many fans are bracing themselves for another frustrating gap in storylines they’ve followed for years. Some worry that if sports continue to take precedence, soaps could gradually be pushed further to the margins of the schedule.