Super Soap Week 2021
Soaps

Emmerdale overtakes Coronation Street in ratings battle for first time in years

The battle of the ITV soaps has heated up!

The cast and crew of Emmerdale should be patting themselves on the back, after the soap won the ratings battle with ITV rival Coronation Street.

After years of chasing Corrie’s tail, Emmerdale overtook the Weatherfield-based serial drama this week.

Maya’s comeuppance probably had a lot to do with it (Credit: ITV)

Read more: Corrie hints at new love triangle for Eileen, Jan and Moira

On Monday (May 6), Emmerdale beat Corrie for the first time in years.

The Manchester soap has been the most watched long-running series by nearly a million viewers, but was pipped to the post as Emmerdale launched its week of flashback episodes.

Viewers tuned in hoping to find out what REALLY happened during the Big Night Out double bill when Victoria was raped, Ellis was stabbed and Maya went missing.

The soap’s Big Night Out has bought Big Ratings too (Credit: ITV)

Read more: Emmerdale viewers guess who attacked Victoria

On Bank Holiday Monday, an average of 5.34 million viewers tuned in for Emmerdale, just slightly ahead of Corrie at 5.30 million.

The second episode at 8.30pm had 5.24 million viewers tuning in.

The ratings victory will be a happy reward for the Dales soap, which has been pushing out seven episodes a week recently.

However it comes at an unfortunate time for Corrie, after seven cast members announced their departure.

ITV
Lucy Fallon was the latest star to announce their departure (Credit: ITV)

The soap has denied it is in crisis, instead insisting it’s the very nature of a soap for people to come and go.

Digital Spy Forum users have given their own verdict on why Emmerdale has overtaken Corrie, with one saying: “The writing was on the wall. Corrie has been dropping heavily all year. It might be a one off but, at the rate Corrie is falling, Emmerdale will be number one soap by the autumn.”

Another added: “All soaps have highs and lows, Emmerdale is not the underdog it’s perceived to be.”

Gemma keeps it real
Can Gemma really be to blame for fans abandoning the soap? (Credit: ITV)

A third wrote: “I’m really enjoying Emmerdale at the moment” and a fourth said: “As one of the many deserters of Gemma Street, I am enjoying Emmerdale at present. Somebody needs to take control of the once-great soap on the cobbles.”

Viewers have criticised Corrie recently for focusing too heavily on Gemma Winter, and have begun to turn on producer Iain MacLeod.

Meanwhile, although many viewers have slammed the Maya/Jacob grooming storyline in Emmerdale, they have been tuning in to see the paedophile teacher get her comeuppance.

Which soap do you prefer at the moment? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!


Helen Fear
TV Editor

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