Soap fans have been left bewildered as their favourite shows disappeared from schedules at the last minute due to the World Cup. The football tournament, which kicked off on June 11, has caused major disruption to ITV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale, and even the BBC's EastEnders has been affected. Coverage on ITV will continue until July 19, ensuring further chaos for regular viewers.
New Scheduling Pattern Disrupted
Just months ago, ITV adopted a new 'soap power hour' format, airing half-hour instalments of both soaps back-to-back nightly, replacing the previous three hour-long Coronation Street episodes and weekly hour-long Emmerdale. However, this pattern has been frequently disrupted, and the World Cup has guaranteed upheaval. Fans were shocked when both ITV soaps disappeared from tonight's line-up without prior notice.
Coronation Street Schedule Changes
Coronation Street will not air tonight (June 29) despite being previously advertised. Metro has reached out to ITV to confirm this week's transmission schedule. The confirmed schedule for this week is as follows: Tuesday, June 30: 8:45pm (hour-long episode); Wednesday, July 1: 7:45pm; Thursday, July 2: No episode; Friday, July 3: No episode. This week's episodes will see Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) face trial for grooming and sexually abusing Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale), who is due to testify.
Emmerdale Schedule Changes
Similarly, Emmerdale will not air tonight. Metro has contacted the show for confirmation of this week's schedule. The confirmed schedule: Tuesday, June 30: 7:45pm (hour-long episode); Wednesday, July 1: 7:15pm; Thursday, July 2: No episode; Friday, July 3: No episode. This week sees the fallout from Kev Townsend's (Chris Coghill) return, revealing he is Lewis Barton's (Bradley Riches) father. Lewis's brother Ross (Michael Parr) and surrogate mother-figure Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler) are desperate to see Kev leave.
EastEnders Moves to BBC2
While relatively untouched by football, EastEnders has shifted its transmission pattern this week. All episodes will air on BBC2. The schedule: Monday, June 29: 7:30pm – 8:30pm (double episode); Tuesday, June 30: No episode; Wednesday, July 1: 7:30pm; Thursday, July 2: 7:30pm; Friday, July 3: No episode. Episodes can be streamed on BBC iPlayer from 7am on air days. This week will see the climax of Bea Pollard's (Ronni Ancona) story, as her manipulation of the Mitchell family is exposed, leading to a showdown with Billy and Honey (Perry Fenwick and Emma Barton).
According to the BBC EastEnders official Twitter account: "Double #EastEnders tonight at 7:30pm & 8:00pm on @BBCTwo. No episode on Tuesday 30th June. Watch both episodes now on @BBCiPlayer."
Viewer Confusion and Ongoing Updates
Fans have expressed confusion over the sudden changes, with many taking to social media to vent. Metro has assured readers that information is correct at time of writing but advises checking for updates as schedules may change. The World Cup coverage on ITV is set to continue until July 19, meaning further disruptions are likely for both ITV soaps.
