Coronation Street star Rob Mallard has shared the cast’s surprising reaction to the recent decision to reduce the soap’s weekly airtime.
Earlier this year, ITV announced permanent scheduling changes affecting both Coronation Street and Emmerdale, set to take effect in January 2026.
Under the new structure, each show will lose 30 minutes of screen time weekly, shifting from six to five episodes per week.
The two soaps will now air back-to-back in what ITV has dubbed its “soap power hour.”
Following concerns about potential job losses sparked by the announcement, Mallard spoke candidly about the change during the 2025 British Soap Awards on Saturday.
Surprisingly, Mallard, who plays Daniel Osbourne in the series, revealed that many within the Corrie cast were optimistic.
“People who have been in the show for a long time said they thought it was going to be better, because they seem to remember it being like that at some point in the past, and I think in terms of the way we structure our episode,” Mallard told Mail Online.
“We won’t have to have so many artificial cliffhangers, because there’s no coming back for part two. It’s all there in one, so it’s going to make the storytelling a lot clearer.”
In February, the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) voiced serious concern that the cuts would reduce work opportunities for its members.
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“We are seeking further clarity from ITV and talking to our affected members as a matter of urgency,” the WGGB said, also referencing “the axing of BBC Doctors last year and the cancellation of Holby before that.”
ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, Kevin Lygo, acknowledged the likelihood of job losses but stressed that the changes were being made with long-term success in mind.
“We will support our colleagues in ITV Studios as they work through these changes, and will do what we can to mitigate the impact on our people,” he said.
“These changes are motivated by doing what we believe is best for the continuing success of these important programmes in the long term.
“They also create headroom in the overall programme budget for investment in programming that can help ITV grow reach in a very very competitive market.”
The overhaul comes alongside broader cuts across ITV’s daytime line-up.
Lorraine will be shortened from an hour to 30 minutes starting in January and will now air for only 30 weeks per year instead of 52.
Similarly, panel show Loose Women will also be scaled back to just 30 weeks of broadcast annually.