ITV announces Coronation Street and Emmerdale crossover episode in 2026

• Coronation Street and Emmerdale will crossover in ‘one-off’ episode.
• ITV is bringing its two major soaps together for the first time.
• But what can soap fans expect?

ITV has stunned soap fans by announcing an ‘unprecedented’ crossover episode featuring its two flagship shows. The worlds of Coronation Street and Emmerdale are set to collide in a “one-off” event early next year.

The broadcaster had previously announced a major shake-up to its soap schedule - and it is coming into play in January 2026. To help fans adjust to the change, it has also announced a special hour-long episode bringing the two soaps together.

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But what can you expect from the crossover? Here’s all you need to know:

ITV announces Coronation Street and Emmerdale crossover

For the first time the worlds of Weatherfield and the Yorkshire dales are about to collide for a very special episode. The broadcaster is boasting that it will have “everlasting consequences for everyone involved”.

The hour-long event will see characters from both soaps come together in a celebration of the soap genre, according to ITV.

A spokesperson said: “The producers, scriptwriters and production teams have conceived an ingenious way of linking the two universes, but with characters then returning to the soaps they are renowned for inhabiting in Manchester and Yorkshire.

“The episode will be self-contained, but the consequences of the high-stakes drama will have repercussions for both communities and see them linked forever as familiar faces depart and exciting new characters arrive into both soaps.”

And in an extra treat for the viewers, the producers of both programmes are inviting the audience to choose which two characters, one from each soap, they would like to see meet and interact in a scene. Details of this initiative will be launched next month via Coronation Street and Emmerdale’s Insta, Facebook and Tik Tok accounts with viewers then able to influence the content of our two pre-eminent soaps.

It is set to air in January 2026 to help mark the new daily schedule for Coronation Street and Emmerdale. Both are set to air five 30 minute episodes each week - in a dramatic change to the current schedule.

Soap fans can expect Emmerdale episodes at 8pm and Coronation Street episodes at 8.30pm on ITV1 and STV. Episodes will continue to drop at 7am on ITVX and STV Player, before transmission that evening.

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