There's an actual reason why Coronation Street and Emmerdale celebrated April Fools Day a little late this year.
Both of the ITV soaps made mention of the prank-filled holiday during Friday's (April 3) episodes, even though it was two full days after the holiday was celebrated.
This wasn't a blunder of any kind, though. Both episodes were originally slated to air on Wednesday, April 1, but the ITV soap schedule has been altered since Coronation Street and Emmerdale have both shut down production because of the coronavirus pandemic.
During Emmerdale, Rodney Blackstock (Patrick Mower) knocked round Brenda Walker's (Lesley Dunlop) flat to find out why the cafe wasn't opening, asking if it was some sort of April Fools prank.
Related: 10 huge Emmerdale spoilers for next week
The pranking spirit was carried over to Weatherfield a half-hour later as Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) and Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) played jokes on each other — and David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) went for a fairly dark trick after his run-in with muggers this week.
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David fooled his mum Gail (Helen Worth) into believing Lily (Brooke Malonie) was missing, so she took her revenge by tricking him into believing his car was on fire. The Platts do not mess around on April Fools Day.
Fans of both soaps should prepare for even more unfortunately-timed holiday episodes in a few weeks when Easter and VE Day episodes will be shown a few days out of date as well.
Related: 14 huge Coronation Street spoilers for next week
A spokesperson explained: "As both Coronation Street and Emmerdale film many weeks before they air on ITV, episodes will continue to feature scenes set in The Rovers and Woolpack and other communal areas."
They added: "Although the Government's latest guidelines indicate that people should avoid such public spaces, we'd ask viewers to make allowances for the fact that filming took place before the coronavirus pandemic and to make sure they follow the most recent Government health advice."
Emmerdale and Coronation Street air on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7pm and 7.30pm respectively.
The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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