ITV has quietly dropped its podcast 'Off Script', a spin-off featuring stars from Coronation Street and Emmerdale, just one year after its debut. The show, hosted by former Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher and his wife Liz, was part of a major promotional push for the channel's flagship soaps but has fallen victim to ITV's cost-cutting measures.
A channel insider revealed: 'There are no current plans to bring it back.' The podcast was announced on Instagram via Coronation Street's official page with a video of Kelvin, Liz, and their first guest, Claire Sweeney, who plays Cassie Plummer. 'Big soap news!' the caption read. 'A brand new Vodcast, 'Off Script' is coming this Friday! Get ready to dive into all things Corrie and Emmerdale as [Kelvin] & [Liz] are joined by big stars and soap fans each week!'
Podcast Run and Hosts
In the video, Liz said: 'Hey guys, we've got some exciting news! We are the new hosts of the brand new vodcast, which is a video podcast, if you don't know, of Off Script: Coronation Street and Emmerdale, where we're going to be talking all about soap and to all of the actors!' She added: 'And today we've got our first special guest, the fantastic Claire Sweeney!' The show ran between March and May of last year.
Kelvin Fletcher rose to fame portraying Andy Sugden in Emmerdale, appearing between 1996 and 2016 for a 20-year tenure. He left the soap to pursue a career as a rally driver and later starred in Death in Paradise, The Teacher, and Moving On. He also purchased land in Cheshire to start a farm, leading to the BBC show Kelvin's Big Farming Adventure and ITV's Fletchers' Family Farm.
Kelvin's Thoughts on Emmerdale Return
In October last year, while appearing on This Morning, host Alison Hammond asked Kelvin about rumours of his character's return. 'There are rumours that your character might be coming back, I don't know if it's true,' she said. Kelvin replied: 'There always seems to be those rumours. I think Emmerdale's in a fantastic place at the minute. And like many, we're viewers, we're fans of the show, and it's always different now to watch the show that I was in for 20 years. I had some amazing memories there, but I think I'd be too busy. I don't think I can stand that two-hour commute, first and foremost.'
Speaking to Metro, he added: 'I sit back from afar and admire that show. I admire it selfishly for the experience it gave me. 20 years I was there, 20 unbelievably happy years and I'll be forever grateful for the opportunity. As a young actor who just loved the thought of, you know, the fame bit and the personality bit is a by-product and it's not something I ever chased as a kid. I just wanted to act, that was my thing and to be given that opportunity for 20 years in an iconic show, playing a fantastic character who was, you know, who resonated with an audience. So that is something I've always, you know, felt immense sense of pride. And so I look back with a fondness of memories, but the show is doing fantastic. It won an NTA recently. Does it need me? It's doing very well.'
