ITV Pulls Coronation Street for Carabao Cup Coverage, Catherine Tyldesley Returns

Coronation Street, the popular ITV soap opera, will not air its scheduled episode tonight due to ITV's coverage of the Carabao Cup football match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur. The match kicks off at 8 PM and will be presented by Mark Pougatch, Les Ferdinand, and Andrew Cole, taking priority over the usual soap schedule. Fans expressed frustration online about the disruption, especially as the show recently marked the return of actress Catherine Tyldesley as Eva Price, a character reintroduced after a seven-year absence. The episode will instead air on Thursday at 8 PM, followed by the usual Friday episode. Alongside this scheduling change, ITV plans to revamp its soap broadcasting format next year, moving to 30-minute episodes every night to create a "soaps power hour" and better align with viewer preferences for faster storytelling. The recent episodes have also introduced new characters and storylines, including Eva Price's partner Ben Driscoll and his family, contributing to a fresh era in Weatherfield drama.