Coronation Street and Emmerdale‘s upcoming episode cuts have sparked urgent concern over job losses.
ITV announced yesterday that the two soaps will both reduce their weekly output in a permanent scheduling change, which will come into effect in January 2026.
The changes will mean that both soaps lose 30 minutes of screen time each week, shifting from a six-episode to five-episode transmission pattern.
Following the news, The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) released a statement expressing concern over these cuts leading to less work opportunities for the union’s members.
“ITV’s announcement today of cuts to episode numbers on Coronation Street and Emmerdale is a real cause for concern, coming in the wake of the axing of BBC Doctors last year and the cancellation of Holby before that,” said WGGB chair Emma Reeves.
“The reduction from six to five episodes per week on Coronation Street and Emmerdale from 2026 means fewer opportunities for work for our members and a further blow to continuing drama.
“We are seeking further clarity from ITV and talking to our affected members as a matter of urgency.”
Bectu, a union that represents workers in the media and entertainment industries, has also released a statement, saying they will do “everything we can” to support impacted members.
“We’re pleased to have ITV’s commitment to work with us during this challenging period,” said Head of Bectu, Phillipa Childs, who added that the union will be “working to mitigate any compulsory redundancies and seeking voluntary redundancies where possible”.
“These scheduling changes and resulting redundancies are symptomatic of a very challenging period for the industry and the need for commissioners and production companies to meet changing audience viewing habits,” she continued.
“Creative industry workers contribute so much to our cultural fabric via their skills and talents, and many have dedicated their lives to their careers in TV. But there’s no denying that crew are among the most vulnerable to industry changes and developments, as today’s announcement illustrates all too well.
“Labour has been clear that it values the creative industries and their huge economic contribution. Bectu will continue to push for better government and industry collaboration to ensure that workers’ needs are top of the political agenda.”
Kevin Lygo, ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, previously acknowledged that the reduction in output would likely lead to cutbacks for the teams working on the soaps.
“We will support our colleagues in ITV Studios as they work through these changes, and will do what we can to mitigate the impact on our people,” he said.
