CORONATION Street fans have reacted in fury tonight after the soap was cancelled to make way for the football.
Viewers tuning in to catch the latest instalment of Corrie were horrified to find it had been replaced with three hours of FA Cup coverage.
Instead of the usual two Friday evening episodes, fans found Manchester United versus Middlesbrough instead.
Taking to Twitter, one raged: “Whaaaaat no #Corrie tonight……..But THREE bl**** Hours of sodding football #nothappy.”
Another moaned: “No #Corrie tonight because of Man U vs Middlesbrough? How irrelevant.”
A third even confessed: “Experiencing phantom #corrie symptoms. Friday just doesn’t feel right without it.”
Corrie last aired on Wednesday, meaning fans have a five day wait until Monday when the soap returns.
It comes after ITV announced a dramatic change to the soap’s broadcast – changing decades of history.
In a huge shake-up of its early evening output, ITV will now air a full hour of news from 6.30pm, pushing the soaps further into prime time.
Emmerdale, which has a big year ahead celebrating its 50th birthday in 2022, will move to a 7.30pm slot.
Coronation Street, the nation’s biggest soap, is to move to three hour-long episodes, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm.
It’s bad news for struggling BBC rival EastEnders – putting the ITV soaps in direct competition with it each night.
EastEnders usually airs Mondays at 8.05pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm and Fridays at 8pm.
The BBC One has struggled in the soap ratings battle recently – with Emmerdale and Corrie pulling in millions more viewers each night.
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Ratings plunged to just two million viewers in the overnights at various points last year forcing bosses to launch a fight back for the soap.
It has recently began airing full 30 minute episodes again after two years of reduced lengths due to the pandemic.
But the ITV announcement will be a bitter blow to bosses wanting to revitalise the struggling show.
ITV’s head of continuing drama John Whiston said: “With Coronation Street bursting at the seams with fantastic story and character, the new format gives the show a brilliant new canvas on which to shine.
“And Emmerdale will do what it does best in this new time slot where viewers can continue to enjoy the dramatic goings-on in the Dales.”
