Emmerdale and Coronation Street have been cancelled this week in an ITV schedule shake-up - in a blow to soap fans.

The soap operas began new schedules in January, although bosses are again pulling them from schedules to make way for sport fixtures.

Usually, the 'soap power hour' sees Emmerdale air at 8pm for 30 minutes, then Coronation Street for another 30 minutes.

On Friday (March 6), both soaps will be off air due to a Six Nations match being aired instead.

In prior shake-ups, the shows would be moved to alternative days or times within the week, but the five-day schedule now makes this less feasible.

Both soaps will return to screens on Monday (March 9), for their normal 8pm and 9pm slots.

It follows a prior shake-up back in January, which saw both shows pulled for two nights in favour of major sporting events.

These were the Arsenal vs Chelsea EFL Live Cup Match and the Six Nations match between France and Ireland respectively.

One fan wrote at the time: 'I remember the times we used to get episodes moved to other times because of the football (even last year), but now it seems like the new standard is simply no episode at all on the football/sports days.'

Another commented: 'This is stupid. So they already cut all the extra episodes going from 6 to 5 per week.

'Now every other week it seems they lose another episode. So in 2026 how many fewer episodes will there really be compared to 2025?'

A third chimed in: 'This whole new schedule is a ploy to tear our beloved soap episodes away from us!'

While a fourth remarked: 'This is so painful. There are very few shows that I like to watch but they keep being shunted.'

Elsewhere, it comes as Coronation Street fans were surprised to spot a show legend in a raunchy BBC series.

Martin Hancock, who is best known for playing Spider Nugent in Corrie, most recently appeared on the soap in 2023. 

Fans of the long running show were quick to spot him in high pressure finance drama Industry, which has recently been showing its fourth season on the BBC.

Martin, 57, plays Dez Watkins in the high-pressure series, which also stars the likes of Kit Harington, Marisa Abela and Harry Lawtey.

His character Dez features in a guest role in the series, which is a joint venture by streaming giant HBO and the BBC, as he's embroiled in a dark storyline following the death of a financial journalist in suspicious circumstances.

Meanwhile, Emmerdale favourite Matthew Wolfenden, who played David Metcalfe, is set to front a new family on a rival soap.

The actor, 45, is joining the cast of Hollyoaks as a new regular character to be introduced.

Joining him is Coronation Street and Waterloo Road star Rebecca Ryan, 34, who will head up the new clan alongside Matthew.

'Rebecca and Matthew are going to launch a big new family for Hollyoaks with a major storyline later this year', a source told The Sun.

'They’ve just begun filming and everyone’s really excited about having them on board.' 

Emmerdale and Coronation Street air on ITV1 and ITVX.