ITV viewers have been left seething once again after discovering that Emmerdale and Coronation Street have both been pulled from schedules tonight,

marking yet another disruptive shake-up that has angered loyal soap fans across the UK. The latest cancellations come barely weeks after ITV confidently relaunched

its flagship soaps in a revamped primetime format — a move that is now facing mounting backlash as consistency continues to unravel.

The broadcaster recently introduced a new “soaps power hour”, designed to streamline its evening schedule and create a stronger, more cohesive viewing block for drama fans. Under the new arrangement, Emmerdale was set to air at 8pm for 30 minutes, followed immediately by Coronation Street at 8.30pm with its own half-hour episode, every weeknight.

The promise was clear: stability, routine, and a renewed focus on ITV’s most treasured serial dramas.

But just weeks into this so-called new era, that promise is already under fire.

Instead of returning to the familiar rhythms of village feuds and Weatherfield drama, viewers tuning in tonight will find both soaps completely absent from the schedule. In their place, ITV has opted to broadcast live sport — a Six Nations rugby clash between France and Ireland — leaving fans feeling sidelined and increasingly frustrated.

This is not an isolated incident. On Tuesday night, Emmerdale and Coronation Street were also removed from the lineup due to football coverage, meaning fans have lost two full nights of soap episodes in the same week. For long-time viewers, the disruption feels less like an occasional inconvenience and more like a troubling pattern.

As it stands, the official schedule suggests that Emmerdale should air five nights a week, with Coronation Street closely following. Yet in practice, those episodes are proving increasingly fragile, frequently sacrificed when sport takes precedence — and often without alternative airings later the same evening.

For fans who have followed these shows for decades, the impact goes far beyond missing a single episode. Soaps thrive on momentum, emotional continuity, and daily habit. When episodes vanish entirely, storylines lose urgency, character arcs stall, and viewers feel disconnected from narratives they have invested years of loyalty in.

Unsurprisingly, social media has erupted with anger.

Emmerdale will not air tonight as it’s replaced with rugby

Coronation Street will not air tonight either

One frustrated viewer wrote that while schedule changes due to sport were nothing new, the current situation feels fundamentally different. “I remember when episodes used to be moved to other times because of football,” they said. “But now it feels like the new standard is just no episode at all on sports days.”

Another fan described the cancellations as emotionally draining, pointing out that soaps are one of the few consistent comforts in their television routine. “This is so painful,” they wrote. “There are very few shows I actually look forward to watching, and they keep getting shunted aside.”

Perhaps most concerning for viewers is the sense that these changes are quietly reducing the total number of episodes aired each year. Last year, ITV confirmed a reduction from six episodes a week to five — a decision that already sparked concern about the future of long-running soaps in a rapidly changing TV landscape.

Now, fans fear the situation is worsening.

“This is stupid,” one commenter vented. “They already cut the extra episodes going from six to five per week. Now every other week it feels like we lose another episode entirely. By 2026, how many fewer episodes will there really be compared to 2025?”

Others see the cancellations as part of a wider strategy that prioritises live sport over scripted drama, at the expense of loyal audiences. “The same thing is happening with Corrie,” another viewer wrote. “This whole new schedule feels like a ploy to slowly tear our beloved soap episodes away from us.”

The frustration is compounded by the fact that Emmerdale and Coronation Street are currently in the middle of major storylines. Both soaps have been building emotional momentum in recent weeks, with dramatic plot twists, heightened character conflicts, and long-running arcs reaching critical points.

When episodes are suddenly removed without warning, that tension evaporates.

For Emmerdale, the disruption arrives amid intense story developments involving the Dingle family, health crises, and legal turmoil — narratives that rely heavily on continuity and emotional pacing. Meanwhile, Coronation Street viewers are also navigating major revelations, fractured relationships, and escalating confrontations on the cobbles.

By pulling episodes entirely rather than rescheduling them, ITV risks dulling the emotional impact of these stories — and alienating viewers who feel their loyalty is being taken for granted.

From ITV’s perspective, live sport remains a powerful ratings draw, particularly for major international tournaments like the Six Nations. Rugby matches cannot be delayed, edited, or shifted without consequence, and broadcasters are contractually bound to prioritise live coverage.

However, critics argue that the issue is not sport itself, but the lack of compromise.

Historically, soaps displaced by sport were often moved to earlier slots, later evenings, or double-bill catch-ups on subsequent nights. Increasingly, though, episodes are simply dropped from the schedule entirely, with no immediate replacement — a decision fans say feels dismissive.

The “soaps power hour” was meant to reinforce ITV’s commitment to its dramas, not weaken it. Instead, viewers are questioning whether the new format has actually made the soaps more vulnerable to disruption, concentrating them into a single block that can be easily removed when clashes arise.

As outrage continues to grow, many fans are calling on ITV to rethink how it handles schedule conflicts going forward — whether that means guaranteed rescheduling, digital-first alternatives, or clearer communication about when episodes will return.

For now, the message from viewers is unmistakable: Emmerdale and Coronation Street are not just filler content, but cultural institutions with fiercely loyal audiences who expect respect, consistency, and care.

With both soaps off air tonight once again, ITV faces a difficult balancing act — and a fanbase that is rapidly losing patience.