Emmerdale actor Chris Bisson has revealed the amusing reason behind his limited screen time in the upcoming historic crossover between the Yorkshire soap and its Manchester rival, Coronation Street. The special episode, dubbed 'Corriedale', is set to air in an hour-long slot on January 5th, 2026.
The 'Vikram' Problem
The 50-year-old star, who has played businessman Jai Sharma in Emmerdale since 2009, found his involvement restricted due to his own soap history. Prior to moving to the Dales, Bisson was best known for playing taxi driver Vikram Desai on Coronation Street from 1999 to 2002.
He joked about the casting conundrum, stating he couldn't interact much with the Coronation Street cast because he looks "too similar to a character they had called Vikram Desai and he's apparently in India!". The production team decided it wouldn't make narrative sense for him to mix extensively with characters who might remember his former Weatherfield resident.
Teasing Big Drama and Danger
Despite his smaller role, Bisson promised his appearance sets in motion significant events. "I'm not in a huge amount of Corriedale, compared to what some of the people have been involved in," he told Digital Spy. "But all I can say is that it kicks off something big! So it's a small part, but something much bigger comes from it."
He also teased impending peril for his long-standing character, Jai. "Jai's not in too much danger in this episode, but you'll see a reveal at the end and he may be in a bit of peril going forward…"
Crossover Details and Soap Swappers
The plot for the crossover remains secret, but teasers confirm a deadly car crash on a country road near Hotten will entangle at least 19 characters from both soaps. David Platt actor Jack P. Shepherd has hinted that more than one character could die in the shocking scenes.
Bisson is not the only actor to have foot in both camps. The episode will feature Coronation Street's Daniel Brocklebank (Vicar Billy Mayhew), who once played Ivan Jones in Emmerdale. Other notable soap swappers include Claire King (Emmerdale's Kim Tate and Corrie's Erica Holroyd) and Jennie McAlpine (Corrie's Fiz Brown and Emmerdale's Michelle Morley).
The 'Corriedale' event marks a new scheduling format for ITV. On Monday, January 5th, 2026, Emmerdale will air at 7pm, followed by Coronation Street at 7.30pm, each for half an hour. The dedicated hour-long crossover episode will then be broadcast live on ITV1 and ITVX from 8pm.
