Emmerdale Star Secures New Deal Amid Major Soap Shake-Up

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Emmerdale legend Chris Chittell has reportedly signed a new contract with the soap, as he prepares to mark 40 years since his debut on the show.

The actor, 77, who plays scheming businessman Eric Pollard - will mark the momentous milestone next year in September 2026.

This comes despite both Emmerdale and its ITV rival Coronation Street being hit by huge cuts, with both shows set to see their weekly number of episodes reduced from next year.

Earlier this week it was also revealed that episodes for both shows will now be available to stream on YouTube each morning , before they are broadcast on ITV.

While Chris has been at the centre of many storylines during his time on Emmerdale, including the devastating death of his wife Val.

His most hard-hitting plot has come in recent months, when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, which has seen his health slowly decline.

A source told The Sun : 'Chris is Emmerdale and there was no way he wasn't going to make it to 40 years in the village.

'It's such a big achievement and he loves being on the show just as much as he did when he first joined.

'There are big things coming for Eric well into next year.'

Earlier this week, ITV announced fans of both the Yorkshire Dales and Weatherfield cobbles will be able to stream the latest episode on YouTube .

For decades diehard soap fans have had to tune in to each show's respective time slot in the evening for their latest fix.

However, in a bid to rival the BBC and EastEnders , channel bosses last year started dropping each new episode of Emmerdale and Corrie on ITVX the morning before their linear broadcast that evening.

Announcing the move, a spokesperson for both soaps told fans on social media: 'Soap fans, rejoice!

'Starting tomorrow, full episodes will be available on YouTube from 7am - the same day they air on TV!'

Fans welcomed the move, including international viewers who have previously struggled tuning into the ITV soaps.

One fan said: 'Awesome! US fans can enjoy!'

A second commented: 'This is awesome news! Yayyy!'

'Hopefully they stay on there going forward as I cant use your awful app,' said a third disgruntled viewer.

The move comes after it was revealed earlier this year how ITV bosses are slashing their soaps' episode count .

Emmerdale currently airs six episodes weekly, Monday to Friday with a double bill on Thursdays.

Meanwhile, Coronation Street also airs six episodes per week, with two episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Next year, only five 30-minute episodes of each show will air - a real terms cut to soap broadcast time of 17%.

Bosses will introduce a soaps power hour from Monday to Friday with 30-minute Emmerdale episodes airing at 8pm and 30-minute Coronation Street episodes airing at 8:30pm.

However, the start of the new 2026 schedule will at least be marked in style, as both soaps embark on an ambitious, never-before-seen stunt as part of a week of special episodes.

Defending the changes, ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment Kevin Lygo said: 'The new commissioning pattern is viewer-led.

'We already give more choice than ever to viewers on how they watch us through ITVX and we want to present their favourite soap to them, in the most digestible way.'

'In a world where there is so much competition for viewers' time and attention, and viewing habits continue to change, we believe this is the right amount of episodes that fans can fit into their viewing schedule, to keep up to date with the shows.'

Over on the BBC, fans can watch new episodes of EastEnders from 6am on iPlayer before they're broadcast that evening on BBC One.

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