Emmerdale and Coronation Street will be uniting for a special crossover episode next year

It was announced back in May that Emmerdale and Coronation Street would be merging for a special one-off episode, with characters from both Weatherfield and the Dales set to come together in an unprecedented event.

Details about the crossover have been largely kept under wraps, but ITV has recently confirmed that filming for Corriedale has begun.

The productions for each soap have joined forces for an “ambitious stunt” which will have “everlasting consequences for everyone involved”.

Iain Macleod, ITV Executive Producer for Continuing Drama, added: “It’s beyond exciting that filming is under way on Corriedale. There is a massive buzz around both the Leeds and Manchester sites and the images coming out of the shoot are utterly spectacular.

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“That’s before we’ve even got to all the brilliant transpennine interactions between characters from the different shows! As a soap fan myself, I think my head if going to explode when the episode airs next year. It will be mind-blowing, historical and unmissable.”

Ahead of the special episode airing early next year, let’s take a look at some of the biggest crossover fan theories.

1. John Sugden’s return

John Sugden’s (Oliver Farnworth) crimes were recently exposed to the residents of the Dales.

The villain notably pulled himself and his husband, Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller), off a cliff, before blackmailing Caleb Miligan (William Ash) into helping him escape abroad.

Just days after his exit from the village, eagle-eyed soap fans spotted a wanted poster with John’s face on in Weatherfield Police Station. Several viewers are now convinced that the poster could indicate John’s return for the crossover episode.

“I think John will get captured in the Corriedale episode,” one person wrote on a Facebook fan page, with another adding: “What if they kill John off during the crossover ep?”

2. Lisa Swain’s secret sister

Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) was recently reunited with her ex-wife Becky (Amy Cudden), who she believed was dead for four years.

In an attempt to keep Becky’s identity a secret from the locals, Lisa has been telling people that Becky is her sister, Kim.

Now, several fans believe that Lisa could actually be related to Dales icon Kim Tate (Claire King), with the familial connection possibly being unveiled in the crossover episode.

“Just thinking about Lisa Swain and Kim Tate meeting in the Corriedale crossover,” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter), with another sharing: “What if Lisa does have a sister called Kim and it’s none other than Kim Tate?!”

Meanwhile, other viewers are predicting that Lisa could be Vanessa Woodfield’s (Michelle Hardwick) sister.

3. Ray Walters’ real boss

Corrie viewers will know that Becky Swain faked her death after she infiltrated a drug gang as part of a covert police operation.

Emmerdale has had its own drug storyline recently, as April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) has been reluctantly dealing drugs for Ray Walters (Joe Absolom).

Last week, it was revealed that local farmer Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) was the mastermind behind the drug gang, as well as being Ray’s mother.

Now, soap fans are convinced that the two plots are linked, with Becky possibly getting involved with Ray and Celia in Corriedale.

“For the crossover story, Could Becky #Corrie be Ray’s boss,” predicted one fan, with another agreeing: “What if Celia raised Becky like she did Ray, or had Becky working for her?”

4. Billy Mayhew’s death

Daniel Brocklebank, who has played Billy Mayhew on Corrie since 2014, will be leaving the soap in a dramatic storyline set to play out on screen.

Just two months after Billy’s exit was confirmed, it was reported that the character is set to be killed in “explosive” scenes.

The Sun has claimed that soap bosses are considering Billy’s death for Christmas or New Year’s to maximise the impact.

Following the reports, some soap viewers are speculating whether Billy could meet his end during the crossover episode.

“I think Billy’s gonna die in the crossover,” one viewer shared, with another adding: “Or John Sugden kills Billy in the Corrie and Dales crossover?”

5. A Vanity reunion

Emmerdale fans have been desperate for Vanessa and Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) to get back together, particularly after they shared a drunken kiss earlier this year.

Fans of the ITV soap will know that the pair have a complex romantic history after Vanessa became a great support to Charity during a traumatic rape trial in 2018.

The couple then got engaged in 2019, but things became complicated when Charity cheated on Vanessa with her now-husband, Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb).

Ahead of the crossover airing, several soap viewers are convinced that Corrie power couple, Lisa and Carla Connor (Alison King), could help get Charity and Vanessa back together.

“Swarla better be the catalyst for Vanity getting back together,” one excited fan wrote, with another adding: “I would love for Lisa and Carla to bring back Vanity.”