Plans to resume filming of Emmerdale in final stages

ITV are in the "final stages" of working on plans for the soap Emmerdale to return to production, according to a spokeswoman for the programmes.

Filming of the soap had been paused since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The spokeswoman said: "We are in the final stages of working with othersacross the industry on a return to production protocol and we are in activediscussions with Government on this."

She added that the "health and wellbeing of our people and those who work with us has always been our highest priority and remains so as we look to restart production".

After filming for the soaps was paused, ITV reduced the amount of episodesbeing aired each week to three in an effort to make the content they had already filmed last longer.

ITV also made classic episodes of the soaps available on its on-demand platform, ITV Hub.

Last month ITV director of television Kevin Lygo said that soaps could returnto screens with older cast members absent.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Television Festival, he said:

The update on a possible return to filming comes after Lygo said that Emmerdale will run out of episodes at the end of May.