Emmerdale chaos as ITV soap pulled from air in last minute schedule shake-up

Emmerdale enthusiasts were left seething when the beloved ITV soap was abruptly dropped from the Friday (July 5) evening schedule, causing uproar among viewers.

Originally slated for a 8.30pm airing, Emmerdale was unceremoniously replaced, although Coronation Street maintained its 9pm slot.

The decision followed ITV's choice to prolong their Evening News coverage in light of the general election results, prompting disgruntled fans to vent their frustrations on social media platforms, with the newly rebranded X, previously known as Twitter, becoming a hotbed for complaints.

Viewers expecting to delve into the rural escapades of Emmerdale found themselves instead confronted with the unfolding political events at Number 10.

One irate viewer took to X to express their annoyance: "Sick of football messing up the soaps. #Emmerdale taken off last min and it's not even on ITVX."

Another chimed in with: "They have just pulled #Emmerdale ffs."

Confusion also reigned, as one fan questioned: "Why has the schedule just suddenly changed? Now doesn't show #Emmerdale at half 8? ".

This scheduling snafu came hot on the heels of dramatic departures in Thursday's (July 5) extended episode, where Suni Sharma (played by Brahmdeo Shannon Raman) and his partner Nicky Miligan (portrayed by Lewis Cope) made a hasty retreat from the village.

Nicky had been itching to leave after discovering that his mother Ruby Fox-Miligan (Beth Cordingly) was responsible for the hit and run that claimed the life of Ethan Anderson (Emile John).

Suni, however, was reluctant to go, preferring to stay near his half-brother Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson), who was concealing a significant secret of his own. The two story arcs converged dramatically on Thursday, as Jai's spouse Laurel Sharma (Charlotte Bellamy) lay recuperating in hospital following her startling heart attack.

The character is reportedly responding well to treatment, with Laurel revealing to Suni the shocking truth - that Jai had swindled him out of his inheritance upon discovering their father Amit (Anil Goutam) was a murderer.

Suni was left fuming, vowing never to forgive Jai and stating that Laurel deserved better. He hastily packed his belongings, informing Nicky of his intentions to leave with him after all.

This caught Nicky off guard, who had just started reconciling with Ruby.

In another part of the village, a grieving Charles Anderson (Kevin Mathurin) woke up on Caleb Miligan's (William Ash) couch, stumbling upon paperwork implicating Caleb in the hit and run. Charles drove Caleb out of the village for a confrontation, leading Caleb to protect his wife Ruby by confessing he was the driver.

Charles sought vengeance, or at least justice for Ethan. However, Caleb reminded him that Ethan had passed away from natural causes, making it pointless to assign blame for his premature death.

Eventually, Caleb's determination to conceal the real truth persuaded Nicky to go along with Suni's plan. The pair decided to start anew together, with Nicky making amends with Charles before departing.

As Laurel ended her marriage and banished Jai from her life, Ruby shared a tearful goodbye with Nicky and Suni. Meanwhile, Caleb could only watch as their son and his partner drove out of their lives.