ITV in soap shake up as they release Emmerdale and Coronation Street episodes on YouTube BEFORE they hit TV screens

The Sun

30-06-2025

A MAJOR ITV shake-up sees Emmerdale and Coronation Street episodes released on YouTube before hitting TV screens.
Traditionally, viewers waited until weekday evenings for brand new episodes.
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Both shows already drop episodes early - on the streaming service ITVX.
However, from today (June 30), new instalments are also available on YouTube.
Full episodes are to be shown on YouTube at 7am - on the same day as transmission.
This is not the only exciting news for ITV soap fans in recent memory.
Last month, it was confirmed the two soaps would be joining forces for the first time in an epic crossover episode.
Set to be broadcast in January 2026, teasers suggest characters from both shows will depart and exciting new faces will join as the cast from each of the long-running ITV programmes come face-to-face for the first time.
The hour-long episode is to mark the start of the new 'soap power hour' - a schedule change taking hold from early next year.
Emmerdale and Corrie will each broadcast a 30-minute episode every-day back-to-back as part of the new programming changes with the huge stunt set to kickstart it all.
ITV teased that the one-off mash-up will have "everlasting consequences for everyone involved" and will rock Weatherfield and the Dales forever.
But before the crossover hits screens, fans will still have major drama in store.
Emmerdale star makes shock return after five years for explosive scenes
Upcoming Emmerdale scenes see fan favourite Paddy Kirk rushed to hospital after a horror dog attack.
The vet - played by Dominic Brunt - is faced with an aggressive dog after freeing a trapped sheep from a fence.
Left seriously injured and rushed to hospital, harsh words from a loved one add insult to injury.
How will the beloved character move on in the aftermath?
History of the Coronation Street set
By Jake Penkethman, TV Reporter
1960-1968 - Whilst the Coronation Street set remained on Quay Street for 53 years, it actually had three separate studio sites. The first was an entirely indoor wooden set which was used for the first eight years of filming. This encompassed a replica of the Street built entirely indoors. The set was known to be awkward for actors to use and the houses brought to three quarter scale.
1968-1982 - In 1968, the addition of an outdoor set was created to adjoin the existing indoor set which was still used for filming right up until 1982. The set was used only when required with many of the show's cast reportedly hating it and describing it as 'the coldest place on Earth'.
1982-2013 - A brand new set was officially constructed in 1982 and was almost built fully to scale but still only permitted for one car to drive down the cobbled street. The house were purpose-built using reclaimed Salford brick in order to give it the most authentic feel possible. During these years, some of the show's buildings were adapted to allow for both interior and exterior filming at the same time. These locations included Elliott's Butchers, Barlow's Buys, Prima Doner and Webster's Autos. The final scenes to be recorded on this site occurred in December 2013. By early 2014, it began operating as a tourist attraction for around two years before ultimately being demolished and re-purposed in 2017.
2014-present - In early 2014, the show's set moved to the TV hub of the North - MediaCityUK in nearby Salford Quays. It is now located a stone's throw from major TV studio Dock 10 as well as the BBC's base in the North - home to Blue Peter, Newsround, BBC Breakfast and BBC Sport. The new set was even bigger and built to 9/10 the scale of a real street and allowed for two card to be travelling down the road at opposite sides for the very first time. The site has even undergone major expansions during its 10 years. Just four years after opening in 2018, a brand new set extension was unveiled which introduced viewers to Victoria Gardens for the first time in its history. The Weatherfield North tram stop also became visible as did a series of shops which became used as part of product placement advertising deals. Brands to have been seen on the Street so far include a Co-Op, a Costa Coffee and a branch of Hay's Travel. Four years later in 2022, another brand new set was unveiled, this time being the heavily mentioned Weatherfield Precinct. It became the first time in 62 years that the area had ever been seen on screens. It fearued a variety of shop fronts, a playground and a number of small flats which have begun to house more and more residents on the street in recent months.
Over in Coronation Street, viewers were shocked when Gary Windass was revealed to be fighting for his life in hospital.
Having been brutally attacked, the builder was shown to be in a coma.
But just who is responsible for the crime?
Coronation Street and Emmerdale air on ITV1 and ITVX.