Coronation Street: why is it not on ITV tonight - reason explained

• Coronation Street will not be on ITV tonight.
• The schedule has been shaken-up for the start of the Six Nations.
• It means that Corrie has been bumped from its usual Friday night spot.

Coronation Street fans who tune into ITV1 tonight expecting their usual Friday night serving of Weatherfield action are in for a disappointing surprise. The soap has been bumped from the schedule by live sport once again.

ITV has shaken-up its broadcasting plans for Friday (January 31) night due to the start of the Six Nations. And it could lead to more disruption over the coming weeks.

The rugby tournament will run until the middle of March. Just like it happens with football, the sporting event can cause disruption to the TV schedule.

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Why is Coronation Street not on TV tonight?

The popular soap usually airs an episode on Friday evenings, making for the perfect way for fans to start the weekend. However tonight (January 31) you may notice it is missing from the TV listings.

Instead ITV is broadcasting the first match from the 2025 Six Nations between France and Wales. The coverage starts at 7.30pm and continues through to 10.35pm - running during the time Corrie would normally air.

It means that Coronation Street fans will have to wait until Monday (February 3) for the next instalment. Which is quite the agonising gap after the most recent episode was broadcast on Wednesday (January 29) night.

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When is the next Coronation Street episode?

It will return to our screens on Monday February 3. So there is still a bit of a wait before it is back with a new episode.

But it looks as if it will be worth the wait as it promises to be quite the dramatic return. The preview on Radio Times’ website reads: “David contacts Andy to finalise their plan as Sarah celebrates her birthday at the bistro. Steve rejects Leanne's advances before Amy recounts her ordeal. Abi suffers a panic attack and lashes out at Toyah. When a fire takes hold at Number Eight, the Platts venture inside to search for Lily, but leave someone trapped by the flames.”

Do you think ITV should find a way to keep soaps on even when it is broadcasting a sporting event? Let me know your thoughts by email: [email protected].