Coronation Street and Emmerdale bosses could “risk losing impact” after the dramatic crossover aired, and a PR expert has explained to the Mirror what they need to do
18:30, 09 Jan 2026Updated 19:08, 09 Jan 2026
Millions tuned in to watch Coronation Street and Emmerdale collide earlier this week(Image: )
It’s been quite the week in soapland as Coronation Street and Emmerdale collided in a historic special episode. Fans of the long-running programmes were on the edge of their seats as characters were involved in a series of horrific car crashes that resulted in the death of Weatherfield vicar Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank), and culminated in the murder of Emmerdale serial killer John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth).
It all came about as both soaps received a reduction in episodes, and was said to celebrate the channel’s new “soap power hour,” with each programme being changed to air in a single half-hour slot each weeknight. The stunt was just the latest in a long line that have taken place over the history of each programme.
Perhaps most famously, Coronation Street had a tram crash to mark the programme’s 50th anniversary in 2010, and has since employed the use of several other stunts as a sinkhole drama played out over a run of episodes known as Horrornation Street in 2022, and, in the last decade, numerous fires have plagued the Manchester backstreet.
READ MORE: Corriedale’s ‘crazy’ plot error explained as soap fallout continuesREAD MORE: Emmerdale fans spot ‘plot hole’ as John Sugden’s killer confesses after Corriedale
Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) died in the multi-car pileup(Image: )
For Emmerdale, die-hard fans will remember the plane crash of 1993, and in more recent times, various explosions and disasters have played out in the quiet Yorkshire village, such as the Valentine’s Day limousine crash of 2025. Whilst Corriedale received a positive reaction from fans and was a rating success with 4.7 million overnight viewers, a PR expert has warned that attention-grabbing stunts aren’t necessarily the way to go to attract a long-term audience. What’s more, each programme has favourited an issue-led way of storytelling in recent times, with plotlines like Debbie Webster’s dementia, and Todd Grimshaw’s abuse coming to the forefront.
Coronation Street first aired in December 1960 and Emmerdale followed in twelve years later, whilst the BBC’s flagship soap EastEnders did not reach screens until 1985. On Christmas Day 1987, 27 million viewers tuned in to watch the departure of much-loved local gossip Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander), giving Coronation Street its biggest audience ever. However, the television landscape has changed dramatically since then, and the format faces unprecedented competition as viewers are now able to stream an unfathomable amount of content on services like Netflix, Disney and Amazon.
As of 2025, both Emmerdale and Coronation Street averaged around four million viewers during broadcast, although these numbers enjoyed a record-breaking boost once bosses decided to release episodes early for on-demand streaming on ITVX.
Kayley Cornelius, a Celebrity PR Specialist at Press Box PR, told The Mirror: “Streaming has undoubtedly changed viewing habits, but soaps were never built to compete with the likes of Netflix in the traditional sense. Their strength lies in routine, familiarity and long-term storytelling. To contend, soaps need to lean into those strengths while adapting to modern viewing behaviour. Making episodes easily accessible on demand, investing in strong digital promotion and ensuring storylines are easy to pick up even if viewers miss episodes will be crucial going forward.
Emmerdale’s John Sugden was also found dead at the end of the episode (Image: )
“There’s definitely a risk. Issue-led storylines are important and often handled responsibly, but when every storyline is framed as a major event, it can feel overwhelming. The magic of soaps like Coronation Street has always been found in the quieter, character-driven moments that reflect everyday life. Big stunts should enhance the show, not define it. If explosions and dramatic twists become too frequent, they risk losing impact and becoming repetitive.”
The decision to move into the soap power hour came amid several budget cuts for ITV, and the crossover aired on the same day that ITV Daytime brands This Morning, Lorraine and Loose Women began to air from smaller studios, having undergone major reductions in staff. When the budget cuts were announced, it was reported that ITV bosses were also planning sweeping cast reductions across their two soaps, and Kayley noted that it did seem as if the crossover was of “strategic” timing.
She added: “It’s difficult to separate the creative decision from the wider business context. With well-publicised budget pressures and operational changes at ITV, it’s likely the crossover served multiple purposes. Events like this can be an efficient way to maximise resources while delivering high-impact moments.
“While it wasn’t tied to a milestone anniversary, it did feel strategically timed to reinforce the value of ITV’s biggest soap brands.”
Whilst Kayley reassured fans that soaps are “not going anywhere” just yet, she explained that bosses need to focus on enticing a younger audience, and utilise the power of social media. As it stands, the Emmerdale Instagram account boasts just under 650,000 followers, whilst Coronation Street is considerably further ahead, with almost 790,000.
She added: “Soaps aren’t going anywhere overnight, but they do need to evolve. Younger audiences consume content differently, and expecting them to engage in the same way as previous generations isn’t realistic.
“Bosses need to meet them where they are – through social clips, strong online storytelling, and characters that feel relevant to modern life. Soaps can still attract younger viewers, but the approach has to be more flexible.”
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