ITV Plans 10% Cast Cuts Coronation Street, Emmerdale Amid Profit Decline

ITV is facing significant budget cuts after profits fell by 44% in the first half of the year, leading to speculation about potential cast reductions on its flagship soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale. Reports suggest that ITV executives are considering axing 10% of the cast from both shows—about 8-9 actors from Coronation Street's 84 and 7 from Emmerdale's 70 permanent cast members—and reducing the number of scenes per episode to save money. The changes come amid broader budget cuts affecting ITV's daytime schedule, including shows like Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning, and Loose Women. While insiders describe the measures as 'brutal' and note that many long-standing cast members rely heavily on their income from these roles, ITV has denied the cast cuts, calling such reports "complete speculation." Some actors have already departed this year, and the soaps are set to reduce episodes from six to five per week starting next year. ITV has acknowledged that cuts are likely but stated it will try to mitigate the impact on its people.