The first ever crossover episode of Coronation Street and Emmerdale left ITV viewers devastated as Billy Mayhew met a tragic end
Dan Laurie Deputy Editor of Screen Time and Wayne Ankers Editor
21:26, 05 Jan 2026
There was worrying scenes on Emmerdale after the Corriedale crossover episode(Image: ITV)
The inaugural crossover episode between Coronation Street and Emmerdale had ITV viewers gripped to their screens.
Soap enthusiasts had been eagerly anticipating this historic merger of television’s two most popular continuing dramas for months.
Channel bosses made the decision to unite the Corrie and Emmerdale universes as part of ITV’s “soap power hour”, which broadcasts both programmes on consecutive weeknights.
The special feature-length episode launched into immediate pandemonium as Emmerdale’s Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) desperately implored John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) to halt his racing vehicle.
Simultaneously, Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) was frantically appealing to Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Boyd) whilst he pursued Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) and Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant) en route to the airport, determined to reveal the truth about Charity’s pregnancy, reports the Daily Star.
Carla tried to stop the minibus(Image: ITV)
With Corrie’s Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) transporting a minibus full of wedding attendees from Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) and Ronnie Bailey’s (Vinta Morgan) nuptials, Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) was left petrified as his controlling partner Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) sabotaged his getaway attempt.
Debbie, who has received a dementia diagnosis, discovered herself trapped in Carl Webster’s (Jonathan Howard) vehicle as he escaped the celebration, driving under the influence after revelations emerged at the wedding about his involvement in striking Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) and embezzling from Debbie. Meanwhile, Becky Swain (Amy Cudden) was on the verge of reuniting with her family as Betsy (Sydney Martin) and Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) joined her for a ferry trip from Hull to Spain.
However, their journey took a tragic turn when Lisa received a call from Carla Connor (Alison King), who had been held captive by Becky during the Christmas period, leading to a head-on collision with John and Aaron’s car.
The accident triggered a pile-up involving several vehicles, including Charity and Mack’s car, as well as Sarah and Jacob’s vehicle driven by Cain (Jeff Hordley) and Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb).
Shona and David are caught up in the crash in Corriedale(Image: ITV)
A mini bus driven by Billy skidded to a halt as Carla tried to prevent it from crashing into the other cars, but it tipped over in a horrific scene, trapping passengers inside.
Billy met a tragic end as he became trapped, with everyone else managing to escape. In a shocking twist, the villainous Theo chose not to save him, instead crawling out of the vehicle himself.
The vehicle later exploded, causing shock and grief among those at the scene.
Becky was subsequently arrested by Lisa, while Kit Green (Jacob Roberts), Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and Cain pursued John. Meanwhile, a mysterious hooded figure lurked at the scene, with an unidentified woman bound in the back of a van.
At the hospital, a pregnant Shona Platt (Julia Goulding) was distraught as she went into labour, while David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) suffered an epileptic fit. Charity, also expecting, tried to comfort her.
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Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) was left injured, and to the surprise of many, the mysterious figure who appeared was revealed to be Graham Foster (Andrew Scarbrough), a character believed to have been killed off in 2020.
In another twist, Cain was informed by medical staff that they had discovered a mass on his brain following his gunshot incident, with Moira at his hospital bedside.
Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) could only watch as his brother Carl battled for his life after attempting to frame their sister Debbie for the crash by placing her in the driver’s seat.
The episode concluded with a shocking cliffhanger as a gunshot echoed out during the search for Joh. Viewers were left stunned when Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) was seen holding the gun, having shot her own brother.
Soap enthusiasts won’t have to wait long for their next dose of drama, as Emmerdale is set to return to ITV1 at 7pm on Tuesday (January 6), followed by Corrie at 7.30pm. Alternatively, viewers can catch both shows from 7am on ITVX.
