Overview
- A returning antagonist targeted a fan-favourite couple in a violent cliffhanger that remains unresolved after police pointed to poachers.
- A surprise registry-office wedding by a long-standing character overshadowed a younger pair’s planned ceremony and was presented as a financial arrangement.
- Viewers reacted in real time on X, with many expressing shock at the unexpected nuptials and the tense holiday twists.
- The Christmas Day episode included a playful nod to Coronation Street’s Weatherfield as promotion ramped up for the Corriedale crossover.
- ITV released a trailer showing a multi-vehicle crash for the crossover and set out a 2026 ‘soap power hour’ with Emmerdale at 8pm and Coronation Street at 8:30pm.