ITV has quietly axed its podcast Off Script, which featured interviews with Coronation Street and Emmerdale stars hosted by soap legend Kelvin Fletcher and his wife Liz, after only one year on air. The show, part of a major promotional push for ITV's flagship soaps, has been dropped due to the channel's cost-cutting measures, according to a channel insider.
Podcast launched with fanfare, now shelved
The podcast was announced on Instagram via Coronation Street's official page with a video of Kelvin, Liz, and their first guest, Claire Sweeney (who plays Cassie Plummer). The caption read: 'Big soap news! A brand new Vodcast, ‘Off Script’ is coming this Friday! Get ready to dive into all things Corrie and Emmerdale as [Kelvin] & [Liz] are joined by big stars and soap fans each week!'
In the video, Liz said: 'Hey guys, we’ve got some exciting news! We are the new hosts of the brand new vodcast, which is a video podcast, if you don’t know, of Off Script: Coronation Street and Emmerdale, where we’re going to be talking all about soap and to all of the actors! And today we’ve got our first special guest, the fantastic Claire Sweeney!' Kelvin added, with the camera panning to a smiling Claire.
Short run and quiet cancellation
The show ran between March and May of last year, with only a few episodes produced. A channel insider revealed: 'There are no current plans to bring it back.' The decision is part of wider cost-cutting at ITV, which has seen several non-core projects shelved.
Kelvin Fletcher: from Emmerdale to farming
Kelvin Fletcher rose to fame playing Andy Sugden in Emmerdale from 1996 to 2016. He left the soap to pursue rally driving, later appearing in Death in Paradise, The Teacher, and Moving On. He bought land in Cheshire to start a farm, leading to BBC's Kelvin’s Big Farming Adventure and ITV's Fletchers’ Family Farm.
In October last year, speaking on This Morning, host Alison Hammond asked about rumours of Andy's return to Emmerdale. Kelvin replied: 'There always seems to be those rumours. I think Emmerdale’s in a fantastic place at the minute. And like many, we’re viewers, we’re fans of the show, and it’s always different now to watch the show that I was in for 20 years. I had some amazing memories there, but I think I’d be too busy. I don’t think I can stand that two-hour commute, first and foremost.'
Fond farewell to Emmerdale
In an interview with Metro, Kelvin reflected positively on his time on the soap: 'I sit back from afar and admire that show. I admire it selfishly for the experience it gave me. 20 years I was there, 20 unbelievably happy years and I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity. As a young actor who just loved the thought of, you know, the fame bit and the personality bit is a by-product and it’s not something I ever chased as a kid. I just wanted to act, that was my thing and to be given that opportunity for 20 years in an iconic show, playing a fantastic character who was, you know, who resonated with an audience. So that is something I’ve always, you know, felt immense sense of pride. And so I look back with a fondness of memories, but the show is doing fantastic. It won an NTA recently. Does it need me? It’s doing very well.'
