In a move that has stunned long-time fans and reshaped Channel 5’s daytime landscape, the iconic Australian soap Home and Away has officially been dropped from its long-held afternoon slot.

The series, which has been a staple of British daytime television for decades, will now undergo one of the most significant scheduling shake-ups in its UK broadcast history.

Viewers returning from the Christmas break expecting a 1:45 pm dose of Summer Bay drama will instead find an entirely new format awaiting them—one that signals a dramatic shift

in how audiences are consuming their favourite soap. For years, the 1:45 pm slot on Channel 5 had become synonymous with the sun-drenched beaches and emotional turmoil of Home and Away. Whether it was a small-town romance crumbling, a shocking arrest shaking Summer Bay, or yet another life-changing disaster rolling through town, British fans could count on their weekday escape to warmer shores at the same familiar time. Now, that routine is being rewritten.

Channel 5 has confirmed that the series will not return to its traditional daytime broadcast slot when it resumes on January 2 after the holiday hiatus. Instead, the network has announced a bold new direction—one that places streaming at the forefront.

Going forward, viewers will be able to watch the latest episodes exclusively on demand via Channel 5’s streaming platform My5 from 6am each morning. That means the very first look at new Home and Away content each day will no longer happen on television, but online.

The show is not disappearing from television entirely, however. Fans can still catch new episodes in its evening slot on 5Star, where it will continue to air at 6:30 pm, preceded by a rerun of the previous episode at 6 pm. But for daytime viewers—especially those who built their routine around the early afternoon airing—the change marks the end of an era.

This strategic shift is part of a wider overhaul of Channel 5’s daytime programming. And according to Channel 5’s Commissioning Editor, Greg Barnett, the move reflects an undeniable shift in viewer habits.

“Home and Away has been a phenomenal success for us on streaming,” Barnett said, confirming that audiences are increasingly choosing to watch the show on-demand. “Viewers have fully embraced the flexibility of on-demand viewing, driving double-digit year-on-year growth and making streaming the preferred way to watch the show.”

Barnett added that transitioning daytime episodes to a streaming-exclusive model is “a natural next step,” designed to align with evolving viewer preferences and ensure Home and Away remains easily accessible at whatever time fans choose to tune in.

For a show with a history as long and storied as Home and Away, this moment represents both continuity and change. The soap first debuted in Australia in 1988 before arriving in the UK the following year, where it quickly built a loyal fanbase captivated by its mix of emotional storytelling, sun-drenched scenery, and dramatic cliffhangers. Over the decades, the series has weathered cast departures, shocking deaths, natural disasters, and countless romantic entanglements—but one constant remained: its place within the UK daytime schedule.

Until now.

Beginning January 2, Home and Away will return from its Christmas hiatus not only with new episodes but with a new viewing structure—one that gives audiences unprecedented flexibility. Viewers can wake up to Summer Bay drama at dawn, follow it up with the evening broadcast, or watch on their own schedule at any point throughout the day.

For loyal fans, the shift brings a mix of nostalgia and excitement. Many have grown up watching the show in linear format, but others—especially younger audiences—have increasingly turned to streaming as their preferred method of watching TV. Channel 5’s decision acknowledges that growing digital-first viewership, and positions Home and Away as not just a long-standing favourite, but a show adaptable to modern viewing habits.

The scheduling update also fits into a broader strategy from Channel 5, which is making several major adjustments to its daytime lineup. As part of the shake-up, a new talk show hosted by Matt Allwright will make its debut in the new year, joining an already crowded schedule that includes staples like Jeremy Vine, who continues in his long-held slot.

Meanwhile, Storm Huntley—a familiar face in Channel 5’s morning programming—will welcome a new co-host, broadcaster Alexis Conran, marking a refreshed era for the channel’s morning chat circuit. Another major change includes Vanessa Feltz’s talk show, Vanessa, being moved to the 2–3 pm slot, accompanied by a reimagined format focused more heavily on viewer interaction.

As Channel 5 restructures, the decision to shift Home and Away to a streaming-first daytime model reflects the broadcaster’s aim to diversify its content and respond to the changing habits of modern audiences. The network is investing in talk-based programming for daytime windows while allowing its longest-running scripted import to thrive in digital spaces where engagement is seeing unprecedented growth.

For Home and Away itself, the move could open doors for new fans while keeping existing audiences engaged across multiple platforms. Streaming allows for more flexibility and potentially wider reach, especially among demographics who prefer watching content on mobile devices or catching episodes on their own schedule rather than tuning in live.

Still, for some viewers, the nostalgia of sitting down each afternoon for the latest events at the Surf Club, Salt, or the Morgan household will be missed. The 1:45 pm slot was more than just a scheduling time—it was a reliable escape, a comforting tradition, and a moment of sunshine in the middle of a UK day. The transition marks a symbolic shift in how long-running soaps are positioned in the modern TV world, where streaming continues to challenge and reshape traditional broadcast norms.

As Home and Away prepares to enter this new chapter, one thing remains certain: drama in Summer Bay is far from over. With new episodes available from sunrise on January 2, fans old and new will have front-row access to all the tension, romance, shocks, and emotional twists that have defined the series for nearly 40 years.