For the second time in one week, ITV's new soaps "power hour" has been dropped in favour of sports coverage.
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This means that viewers tuning in for their nightly dose of Emmerdale or Coronation Street action from 8pm will be bitterly disappointed – as the broadcaster is airing coverage of the Six Nations instead.
Jill Douglas will host the opening match from 7.30pm tonight (5th February), with kick-off between France and Ireland at le Stade de France in Paris from 8.10pm.
It comes just days after an EFL Cup match replaced the serial dramas.
Fans will have to wait for the aftermath of Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) learning that sister Debbie (Sue Devaney) is his mother. ITV
Both soaps reduced their weekly output by half an hour last month, so that they streamline their broadcast pattern into a new slot each weeknight. This followed a highly-anticipated crossover episode – dubbed Corriedale – which saw the two fictional worlds combine for one night only.
Speaking after the new schedule on ITV1 was announced, Kevin Lygo, ITV's Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, said: "The new commissioning pattern is viewer-led. We already give more choice than ever to viewers on how they watch us through ITVX, and we want to present their favourite soap to them in the most digestible way.
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"In a world where there is so much competition for viewers' time and attention, and viewing habits continue to change, we believe this is the right amount of episodes that fans can fit into their viewing schedule, to keep up to date with the shows."
Meanwhile, Emmerdale actor Chris Bisson told Leeds Live that it would bring an end to the listings changes. "All the fans have been waiting for the two shows to collide and now we get it to kick off our new schedule on ITV," he said.
"No more moaning that they are shifting Corrie around because of the football and nobody knows when it is on – all that kind of stuff. We all know where we are up to now – 8pm to 9pm everyday of the week."
Both Emmerdale and Corrie will resume in their regular slot tomorrow (February 6th).
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1. Coronation Street follows at 8.30pm. Stream on ITVX.
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Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
