ITV to halt Coronation Street and Emmerdale filming from Monday
ITV said it had recorded enough episodes to see both soaps through to the early summer.
Filming on ITV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale will be suspended from Monday due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement from the broadcaster said its staff had been working hard to ensure filming continued “whilst adhering to the Government’s latest health guidelines”.
It said enough episodes have been recorded to see both soaps through until the early summer.
The statement said: “ITV has sadly taken the decision to suspend production of the soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale with effect from Monday March 23.
“We’ve been doing our best to carry on filming, whilst adhering to the Government’s latest health guidelines, to ensure we’ve episodes of both soaps airing on ITV until at least the early summer.
“However, the health and well-being of the production teams, actors, crew and their families is of paramount importance to us and we now feel that the time has come to stop filming.
“We’d like to thank our viewers for their support and hope they continue to enjoy both soaps in the coming months.”
A tweet from the official Coronation Street account confirmed it will still be on air next week “as normal, apart from Friday”.
From March 30 onwards the show will air three times a week.
Replying to a fan praising the soap for its decision, the official Emmerdale account tweeted: “Thanks for your support. We’ll be here on social bringing you the Big Drama from the Small Village in the best ways we can. We’re in this together x #Emmerdale.”
Earlier this week, the BBC suspended filming of EastEnders and other top BBC dramas including Casualty, Doctors, Holby City, River City and Welsh series Pobol y Cwm.
EastEnders fans will still be able to get their fix of Walford from episodes already filmed, and TV bosses say just two episodes will air each week to make them last as long as possible.
Piers Morgan also said Good Morning Britain will be extended by an hour on Monday for a coronavirus special.
The ITV show will air from 6am until 10am and feature Charlotte Hawkins as co-host until 9am, with Lorraine Kelly joining Morgan for the remainder of the programme.
Co-presenter Susanna Reid, who is self-isolating at home after one of her sons developed symptoms of the virus, will join the show via video link.
