Prince Philip: Duke of Edinburgh’s death means cancellation of EastEnders, MasterChef, Hearts broadcast, Coronation Street and Emmerdale as BBC One and ITV pull programmes

The BBC has cleared its TV schedule for the rest of Friday following the death of Prince Philip – meaning the MasterChef final, EastEnders and live coverage of Hearts versus Alloa Athletic will not air as originally planned.
By Gary Flockhart
Published 9th Apr 2021, 15:24 BST
Updated 9th Apr 2021, 15:44 BST
The Duke of Edinburgh attending the Captain General's Parade at his final individual public engagement, at Buckingham Palace in London.The Duke of Edinburgh attending the Captain General's Parade at his final individual public engagement, at Buckingham Palace in London.
The Duke of Edinburgh attending the Captain General's Parade at his final individual public engagement, at Buckingham Palace in London.

Soap fans looking for their fix of Coronation Street and Emmerdale will be also disappointed, as ITV have pulled plug on episodes originally due to air on Friday.

ITV said: “ITV News will broadcast continuous coverage throughout the afternoon, celebrating Prince Philip’s life, his unique contribution to British history, and looking back at his decades of service to the Queen and the country.”

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Programmes include a specially commissioned film, Prince Philip: Duke Of Edinburgh, featuring “personal testimony” and “rich archive content” and a documentary special, Prince Philip: A Royal Life.

The BBC said: “With the sad news that HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, has died, there is now special coverage across all BBC networks to mark his life of extraordinary public service and planned scheduling has been suspended.”

BBC Radio 6 has also been cancelled.

What is happening to TV today and why is my show not being broadcast?

The BBC has taken the decision to cancel all its Friday shows for the rest of the day following the Duke of Edinburgh’s death.

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Shows including Masterchef, Gardener's World and Eastenders were due to be broadcast on Friday – but now none of those will be aired.

Heart of Midlothian’s Scottish Championship fixture against Alloa Athletic on BBC Scotland will also not be shown on the channel.

ITV has cancelled Coronation Street and Emmerdale as well as A Touch Of Frost.

Channel 4, however, will broadcast Gogglebox and the Circle as planned.

When did Prince Philip die?

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Buckingham Palace announced Prince Philip’s death, age 99, just after midday on Friday (April 9) issuing a statement that spoke about how the royal family joined with people across the globe “mourning his loss”.

The Palace said in a statement: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.

“Further announcements will made in due course.

“The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”

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Related topics:BBCITVDuke of Edinburgh

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