ITV has reportedly had to deal with a revolt from staff after it offered COVID-19 testing to cast and crew of Emmerdale – but NOT other staff working in the same building.
The soap shoots in the same building as a variety of other shows with journalists working on local stories from the Leeds studios.
But journalists, office and tech staff who share the Leeds studio were furious to learn they weren’t included in temperature checks.
John Whiston, head of ITV in the North, sent staff an email detailing the plans according to the Mirror.
In it he said “it won’t necessarily be the same for everyone”.
Read more: Coronation Street, Emmerdale and EastEnders ‘ban kissing’ as filming resumes
This led to a furious backlash from staff with one telling the publication: “People were very p***ed off. You can tell who the golden folk are.
“We just have to doff our caps as the stars come in. It’s daft. They all still have to use the same door handles as
us to get in the building – but if we’ve got it, tough.”
The newspaper reports that ITV bosses made a climbdown after the backlash and decided to offer all ITV employees testing.
An ITV spokesman said: “All colleagues at ITV Yorkshire can have their temperatures checked as they enter the building.”
A source added to the publication: “We have only started back in production this week and are constantly assessing how all our controls are working.
“ITV has extended the facility to anyone else who shares the site with Emmerdale and who wishes to be temperature checked.”
When did Emmerdale resume filming?
Fans were shocked last week when ITV revealed the soap had already begun filming again.
ITV announced a “phased return” to production with a socially-distanced reduced cast and crew shooting six special lockdown episodes.
Just 13 actors will feature in the episodes.
Read more: Coronation Street and Emmerdale stars ‘worried about being axed’
Bosses hope the two weeks’ worth of episodes will plug the gap and avoid the soap going off air.
A fuller production will resume in early June with more cast and crew filming.
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