Emmerdale fans tuning in for their nightly dose of Dales drama are in for a nasty surprise this evening, as the beloved ITV soap has been unceremoniously bumped from its regular slot.
Why has Emmerdale been cancelled?
The sudden schedule shake-up is due to live football coverage on ITV1. The channel will be broadcasting the FIFA World Cup Group K qualifier between England and Serbia from Wembley Stadium. With presenter Mark Pougatch at the helm, the coverage is set to run from 7pm until approximately 10pm, leaving no room for the residents of Emmerdale village.
This disruption comes hot on the heels of a series of powerful, standalone episodes that have captivated viewers. The first of these special instalments, aired last week, focused on a troubling storyline for April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan), who has become entangled in a drug-dealing operation run by Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths).
What happened in this week's dramatic episodes?
This week's storytelling intensified, with Monday's episode putting Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) in the spotlight. The episode revealed his harrowing fate after he left the village in the summer. Found living in his car by the manipulative Ray Walters (Joe Absolom), Bear was lured into a dangerous world with the promise of shelter.
Ray, exploiting Bear's vulnerability, offered him a bed, food, and water in exchange for labour on Celia's farm. This poignant modern-day slavery storyline shows Bear unable to see how he is being manipulated. His son, Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt), remains desperately worried, with all traces of his father seemingly vanished after Ray returned the hire car.
The final standalone episode, broadcast yesterday, delved into the past of Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley). It explored his traumatic experience of being moved from the Isle of Wight to Hotten prison during the pandemic. In a surprising twist, his cellmate was Kev Townsend (Chris Coghill). Initially at odds, the pair eventually became friends and then lovers.
The episode also featured the return of the much-loved Faith Dingle (Sally Dexter), who visited Robert to urge him to proceed with his appeal so he could return to a struggling Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller). Meanwhile, in the village, it was revealed that Kev has a secret son, who viewers now know is Lewis Barton (Bradley Riches), though Kev remains unaware.
When will Emmerdale be back on TV?
Thankfully, the wait for the soap's return is a short one. Emmerdale will be back with a normal episode on Friday, November 14 at 7:30pm on ITV1. For those who can't wait, the episode will also be available to stream from 7am on ITVX.
Elsewhere in the village, Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) is growing increasingly paranoid about her husband Mackenzie Boyd's (Lawrence Robb) burgeoning friendship with Ross Barton (Michael Parr), ensuring there will be plenty of drama to return to.
