Prepare to rage soap fans – football is ruining our lives again tonight

Soap fans are going to have to put their evening plans on hold tonight, as football is once again getting in the way of their regular trip to the cobbles and the Dales.

Both Emmerdale and Coronation Street are being bumped from ITV’s schedule today, Wednesday (12th of August), with live football taking over the evening instead.

ITV is showing a pre-season friendly between Manchester United and Leeds United, meaning the usual soap hour is being sacrificed for the sporting clash.

And while football fans will no doubt be happy to have another game to watch, soap fans could be forgiven for letting out a collective groan.

It comes after a particularly disruptive summer for ITV’s soaps, which have already had to make several changes to their usual schedules because of sporting coverage.

Both Emmerdale and Corrie have been moved around at various points this year, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup also having a major impact on the broadcaster’s usual evening line-up.

Football coverage gets underway on ITV1 at 7pm tonight, with kick-off following at 7.30pm. The match then takes over the part of the evening where viewers would normally settle down for Emmerdale at 8pm and Coronation Street at 8.30pm.

So, if you were expecting your usual Wednesday night dose of Weatherfield drama and village chaos, you’ll have to find something else to watch for one evening.

The good news is that soap fans won’t be left waiting for long.

Both shows will be back on ITV tomorrow, Thursday 13th of August, with the regular weekday schedule returning.

That means Emmerdale will air at its usual 8pm slot, followed by Coronation Street at 8.30pm.

The two soaps are now part of ITV’s weekday ‘power hour’, with Emmerdale and Corrie sharing a 60-minute block from Monday to Friday.

Episodes are also made available on ITVX from 7am on the day they are due to air, meaning particularly impatient viewers can get their soap fix earlier.

And there’s certainly plenty waiting for viewers when the soaps return.

In Emmerdale, the fallout from Dr Caitlin Todd’s death is set to continue, with questions still hanging over exactly what happened before her fatal fall.

Sarah Sugden pushed Caitlin, resulting in the doctor’s death, and the consequences of the incident have already begun to ripple through the village.

Both Sarah and Charity were arrested following the tragedy, but Charity ultimately decided to take responsibility for what happened.

That leaves the Woolpack landlady facing an uncertain future, while the decision could have serious consequences as the truth continues to emerge.

Over in Weatherfield, meanwhile, things are just as complicated for Sarah Platt.

She remains behind bars as the investigation into the murder of Theo Silverton continues, with recent events leaving her future hanging in the balance.

Gary Windass has also found himself at the centre of the drama after appearing ready to confess, leaving viewers with plenty of questions about what exactly is going to happen next.

So, while tonight might be a football night on ITV, soap fans thankfully don’t have to wait too long for their next fix.

Emmerdale and Coronation Street will both be back tomorrow, with the usual drama resuming just as viewers left it.

Until then, it looks like football has won this round.