Viewers of Coronation Street are so upset with ITV for cancelling their favourite soap for the football, they have launched a petition trying to reverse the decision.
This week, ED! revealed that fans of the Weatherfield-based soap will have to wait a whole week between episodes due to upcoming schedule changes.
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In reaction to the news, a die-hard fan has started a petition on Change.org in a bid to “Stop ITV Cancelling Corrie for Euro 2020”.
Calling herself Rita C, she wrote: “ITV cancelling Corrie for football will ruin many people’s evenings and routines of years and is unfair.
“Show earlier or later or on ITV2 is the better answer. Sign this so ITV see the loyal fans are outraged.”
At the time of writing, the petition had 315 signatures.
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Commenting on the petition, one fan said: “Yes! Signed. We should have a channel just for sport so we don’t have to be subjected to it.”
Another said: “I am fed up of Corrie being put off for football, it is not fair.”
A third agreed, adding: “Why can’t they put it on another channel?”
“Football can be shown on another channel,” said one more. “Why should Corrie be put off air and cancelled?”
Some, however, weren’t as upset saying it was a “first world problem” and begging the petition signers to “stop moaning”.
ITV schedulers risked the wrath of Coronation Street fans, by agreeing to show live football instead of the soap later this month.
Viewers hoping for their fix of drama from the cobbles will instead face hours of football.
We’d already reported that the schedules were being disrupted because of the upcoming Euro 2020 Championship.
On October 11, there will be no Friday episodes of either Corrie or Emmerdale because England are playing the Czech Republic.
However there was more bad news for soap fans, as England are also playing Bulgaria on October 14 in the competition’s qualifying matches – meaning that both soaps are off the air on that Monday too.
All this means that there’ll be no visit to Weatherfield between October 9 and October 16.
That’s seven days without a hilarious comment from Mary Taylor, an evil threat from Gary Windass or an update on Sinead Tinker’s health.
Emmerdale fans won’t have to go for such a long time without an episode, as the ITV soap’s hour-long Thursday episode is still happening on October 10.
The Tuesday episodes on October 8 and October 15 will also be extended to an hour to make up for the football.
As yet, Coronation Street have not confirmed when they will make up for their postponed episodes.
Recently, sport has been causing havoc with ITV’s scheduling, as their most popular shows have been upended for their coverage of the Rugby World Cup.
This Morning, Tipping Point and Loose Women have all been affected, with timings delayed and sometimes even cancelled.
Soap fans have previously slammed the channel for interfering with their fave shows, insisting sport should stay on sports channels only. Do you agree?
Are you happy to watch the football? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!