The Chase is the latest ITV show to fall victim to scheduling changes as the UEFA Women’s Euros take priority on air. Viewers have already been left fuming over the soaps being pulled from screens
Fans will not be able to watch The Chase tonight
Fans of The Chase are facing disappointment this week as the hit quiz show has been pulled from ITV’s schedule in yet another shake-up triggered by live sporting events.
Viewers who usually tune in to see Bradley Walsh put contestants through their paces at 5pm on ITV One will find their routine interrupted as the broadcaster clears space for coverage of the UEFA Women’s Euros.
On Monday, July 7, The Chase will be bumped from its regular slot to make way for live coverage of the Spain vs Belgium match, with the build-up starting at 4.15pm ahead of the 5pm kick-off.
The ITV quiz show has been bumped off for coverage of the UEFA Women’s Euros(Image: ITV)
However, fans won’t have to go completely without their fix of Chasers and cash-build rounds. A second celebrity special of the quiz will air on Sunday, July 12, at 5.30pm instead. The show is then expected to return to its usual 5pm weekday slot from Tuesday, July 8.
This isn’t the first time recently that The Chase has been booted off air. Just last month, the popular quiz was cancelled for the entire week to make way for coverage of Royal Ascot, leaving viewers frustrated.
And it’s not just quiz fans feeling the pinch. Soap lovers are also grappling with significant disruption as both Coronation Street and Emmerdale are hit by further schedule changes this week.
Coronation Street, which is typically on screens Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 8pm and 9pm, will be absent from ITV on both Monday and Wednesday. Instead, fans will have to wait until 9pm on Thursday for their next visit to Weatherfield, while Friday’s episode will air as usual.
Meanwhile, Emmerdale will also be missing from the Monday and Wednesday line-up to make way for the Portugal vs Italy and France vs Wales games.
Over on the BBC, EastEnders fans are no strangers to disruption either, having endured an eight-day absence from screens between July 1 and July 9 thanks to Wimbledon coverage.
This comes after soap fans hit out at the disruption to their usual fix of Emmerdale, Coronation Street, and EastEnders. One angry viewer fumed: “Why have we no Emmerdale or Corrie, cause women’s football on ITV? Why can’t the football move to ITV2 or ITVX? Stupid planning. The soaps must have much higher viewers than women’s football, a lot of people unhappy.”
Another ranted: “This is actually a full-on joke. It’s about time ITV came up with a solution to suit all!! Some of us rely on soaps for routine and they are the only happy part of our day! YOU HAVE ITVX AND SEVERAL OTHER CHANNELS! Sort it out ITV!!”
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A third fan added: “This annoys me so much. I hate soap schedule changes due to football. Watching soaps at night makes my nights better as it gives me escapism from my daily life.”