Corrie and Emmerdale face big changes as ITV turns spotlight on soap budgets

After daytime television shakeup, it's feared the axe could fall again, with the channel's beloved rumoured to be next on the chopping block.

According to The Sun, there are whispers that beloved long-runners and could be next in line for dramatic cost-cutting measures.

A TV insider confided to The Sun: “After the Daytime announcement, the big feeling within the soap departments at is the cost-cutting focus will shift to them. There’s been some seismic changes already over the past year regarding penny pinching, and many believe that’s just the start.”

Both Coronation Street and Emmerdale have long been untouchable jewels in ITV’s legacy. However, it seems the soaps are more exposed than ever before.

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“Given the big audience figures and institutional history within ITV, soaps used to have an untouchable feel about them,” the source added. “But that’s changed significantly, and they now feel more vulnerable than ever.”

From January 2026, both shows will be trimmed to five 30-minute episodes per week, dropping an hour of soap content. The rebrand? ITV’s so-called , with Emmerdale airing at 8 pm and Corrie following at 8:30 pm, Monday to Friday.

While bosses have pitched the shake-up as a bold new chapter, it’s far from a smooth sell behind the scenes. The move is expected to cut up to 75 jobs, and many crew members have reportedly already been drafted into redundancy meetings.

The retirement of John Whiston, ITV’s veteran Head of Continuing Drama, has only added to the uncertainty. In his place, Iain MacLeod has been promoted to Creative Director, overseeing both soaps with full editorial control.

The consolidation has sparked fears of a quiet merger behind the scenes. With MacLeod now the final voice on both shows, staff are wondering if Emmerdale and Corrie will soon share more than just a time slot.

Adding fuel to the fire is the much-talked-about crossover episode, the first of its kind set to air as a one-off launch for the new schedule. Although ITV execs have insisted the crossover is a one-off, an insider has told The Sun that this episode will be a mini cost-cutting experiment to see if the crew can work across both soaps.

These claims have been strongly denied by ITV. An ITV spokeswoman said: "These claims aren't true. ITV has been clear that the crossover episode is a one-off occasion to launch the new scheduling pattern for and in January 2026. Both programmes will then continue to broadcast separate, individual episodes. The crossover episode will be purely story-driven and is a first for British Soap.

"The idea certainly hasn't been conceived for financial reasons. In fact, the spectacular combined launch episode will cost a great deal more than regular episodes. We are proud to have the opportunity to be able to deliver this special moment for fans of both programmes."

Despite ITV’s denials, there is scepticism. The TV insider said this is a “genuine glimpse into the future of how crewmembers will be expected to work, being across both soaps”, adding: “there’s a feeling significant savings could be made on production costs even if the quality of the output will be seriously affected.”

Another source told the publication that cast members on both soaps were “fuming and concerned by cuts.” Earlier this year, The Sun revealed that Corrie bosses had tightened the purse strings by reducing cast appearances to curb fees, favouring fresher, lower-cost faces over older stars.

The daytime television cull at ITV has definitely blindsided many people, with and Lorraine scaled back drastically, despite solid ratings and recent accolades.

Once upon a time, soaps were ITV’s proudest exports. However, they may soon be second-tier citizens, with the focus shifting to prestige dramas like Mr Bates vs. The Post Office and sporting events, which are both revenue drivers.

Like the Daytime shows, some fear that Emmerdale and Corrie might soon find themselves fighting for survival.

The Mirror has reached out to ITV for additional comment

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