What time is Emmerdale on tonight (Friday)? Get up-to-date schedules and changes here
You don’t need to miss a minute of Emmerdale with our handy guide
The drama is ramping up again in this week’s Emmerdale as John tries to cover his tracks over Nate, and Steph prepares for surgery – but at what time is Emmerdale on tonight, Friday, May 2?
With football, rugby and other special shows, ITV tends to shift the soap schedule round to accommodate them. But we’ve got you covered with all the up-to-date schedule changes right here.
What time is Emmerdale on tonight?
On Friday, May 2, 2025, Emmerdale will air at the usual time of 7.30pm on ITV.
The episode is already available on streaming service ITVX. It is normally released there every weekday at 7am.
What happens in Emmerdale on Friday – Ruby vows to save Steph
After Steph’s meltdown on Thursday (May 1), Ruby vows she will help her daughter, no matter what the cost to herself. As she and Caleb come up with a plan, how will the rest of the Anthony murder club feel about it?
Elsewhere, Gail is still feeling underappreciated by Charity. But when she hits upon an idea for a theme night, she pitches it again and Charity agrees. Gail is thrilled that finally she is making an impression. How long will it last, though?
Also, Tracy is left confused by ‘Nate’s’ latest move. Just as Cain packs to go to Shetland, will this change his mind?
Emmerdale powering ahead as schedule set to change again for 2026 ‘power hour’
In October 2024, Emmerdale announced they were going to start streaming the daily episode of the soap from 7am. Despite some concerns that it meant the soap was in trouble, coupled with lots of cast exits, it has been revealed that actually it was a great move by ITV.
Stats for the first quarter of 2025 revealed that ITVX has achieved a ‘record-breaking’ billion streams in a quarter for the ‘first time ever.’ Coronation Street and Emmerdale have raked up 124 million streams on ITVX so far this year. Soap viewing is up 35 percent in comparison to the first quarter of 2024. So it seems fans are really enjoying the 7am uploads.
It’ll soon be all change once again for ITV and Emmerdale in 2026 after the soap announced a new schedule. The soap ‘power hour’ will start from next January.
Emmerdale will continue to air five nights a week. New episodes will also drop on ITVX every morning at 7am as usual – meaning we don’t have to wait all day if we don’t want to!
However, the soap will move to a new time slot of 8pm. The Thursday double bill will also be cut to half an hour to make way for additional episodes of Coronation Street.
This ensures faster-paced, digestible episodes – a 30-minute format which has already proven popular with viewers.
Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale? All the cast exits, arrivals and returns
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
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