Movies

ITV bosses ‘plan major Coronation Street and Emmerdale shake-up’ as ‘one in ten cast members face axe’

BBG News

It is believed that the executives at ITV are considering a major overhaul for their popular soap operas, Coronation Street and Emmerdale. One of the suggestions being discussed is reducing the number of actors by approximately 10% as part of extensive budget reduction strategies.

The broadcaster has shared their intention to reduce their budget by approximately £15 million, following the disclosure that their earnings for the initial part of this year dropped by a staggering 44% to £99 million.

Currently, it’s being attempted to reduce escalating production costs by focusing on both types of soap.

Approximately 10% of the present cast lineups, consisting of 84 regular actors on Coronation Street and 70 on Emmerdale, are likely to be let go.

Producers are being advised to streamline their scripts and episode layouts by reducing the number of scenes per episode and shortening production timelines.

According to a trusted source, “Things are getting intense. For some time, we had an inkling that this would happen, but the pace has significantly increased recently, and it seems to be a common theme in all soap operas.

The goal here is to cut costs, and it seems clear that Coronation Street (Corrie) and Emmerdale are potential areas for savings since they are quite costly productions.

Many performers typically sign contracts for each episode, receiving a predetermined amount annually. This arrangement, often seen as outdated, is believed to be no longer viable or sustainable in its current form.

Longtime soap opera actors appear to be anxious about their employment stability, especially those who heavily depend on a consistent paycheck from these shows.

A number of people who have stayed for a considerable period rely on their current earnings remaining stable.

Reducing the number of actors might help rein in costs that have been escalating. Concentrating more on dialogue rather than action could be another cost-effective approach.

The suggested reductions are taking place as ITV is going through a broader reorganization of its daytime content, resulting in significant layoffs that have affected programs such as Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning, and Loose Women.

TopMob has contacted ITV for comment.

It comes after the broadcast channel has already started undergoing changes to its daytime format.

Previously announced by TopMob, the fourth season of The 1% Club, typically airing on Saturdays, concluded in May. However, it’s set to return this fall with a fresh, revamped format.

Instead of only broadcasting once a week, ITV has revealed that the program is going to undergo a transformation and become a five-day extravaganza, now known as “The 1% Club Rollover.

In each episode, the fundamental rules stay the same; however, if the jackpot isn’t claimed during an episode, it carries forward and accumulates for the following one.

Come May, I was absolutely thrilled when ITV made a grand announcement about some major transformations coming to Lorraine Kelly’s beloved show. The program, which used to run an hour long, would now be compressed to just 30 minutes – reminiscent of Loose Women’s schedule! And

Under the upcoming changes, taking place in January, approximately 300 employees may lose their jobs. This decision follows a consultation period that is expected to continue until September. Regrettably, those employees will be terminated by December.

According to a source, the atmosphere is intensely strained. Many people are simmering with anger because they believe that ‘This Morning’ is unfairly preferred over other daytime shows, even though it’s perceived as less impressive compared to its peers.

It seems that both Loose Women and Lorraine are consistently achieving strong ratings, whereas This Morning frequently makes headlines due to declining viewership numbers. In fact, Loose Women has been honored with awards recently.

Despite the Philip Schofield scandal and Holly Willoughby’s departure, It’s interesting to note that This Morning, often seen as an outlier, isn’t facing any reductions in funding or programming.

‘Everyone is absolutely furious that This Morning has got away with it yet again.’

According to a source, some senior presenters on ITV’s team are concerned that managers might lean towards selecting younger talent for the remaining positions.

TopMob contacted ITV for comment at the time. 

Read More

2025-07-27 02:03

Previous post Lucasfilm Issues Statement About Anakin Skywalker’s Power Level, Dividing Fans
Next post Gregg Wallace insists he is done with TV and the BBC and claims HE was ‘groped’ while working on MasterChef