SKINT Emmerdale bosses are selling off iconic soap props for as little as 99p amid a cash crisis and widespread cast cuts.
ITV is selling show props on eBay, giving fans the chance to own a piece of the soap’s history – including a piece of Kim Tate’s infamous doomed wedding.
Skint Emmerdale bosses are selling off iconic soap props for as little as 99p[/caption]
Items include a real leather wallet used by recently axed character Will Taylor[/caption]
A wedding invitation box from the tragic wedding of Kim Tate and Will Taylor[/caption]
A Bronze medal in a red box for Nicky Milligan[/caption]
A stainless steel hipflask once carried by Rose Taylor[/caption]
A travel mug with the Home James Haulage logo[/caption]
A mask of Marlon Dingle’s face[/caption]
A white T-shirt with “Dougette” in green lettering[/caption]
The auction has already sparked interest, with items ranging from a real leather wallet used by recently axed character Will Taylor (Dean Andrews) to a wedding invitation box from the tragic wedding of Kim Tate (Claire King) and Will.
Among the listings is the wallet, which is currently priced at £12, offering a piece of memorabilia from Will, whose departure from the soap left fans shocked.
Meanwhile, a stainless steel hipflask once carried by Rose Taylor (Christine Tremarco) is already attracting attention, with six bidders fighting over it as the price climbs to £12.50.
And a mask of Marlon Dingle’s face goes for 99p.
However, it’s Kim Tate’s doomed wedding invitation box that has garnered the most attention, with bidding having already reached £23.
The tragic wedding between Kim and Will, marked by turmoil and emotional devastation, remains one of the show’s most dramatic moments, and now fans can hold onto a piece of that storyline for a small price.
Other costumes up for grabs include a jumper worn by regular character Mary Goskirk (Louise Jameson), which is currently priced at £16.
But not all items are commanding a high price – some props are being sold off for as little as 99p as part of a desperate effort to clear out the studio’s surplus stock.
The decision to auction these items comes at a time of significant upheaval at Emmerdale.
In recent months, ITV bosses have been under increasing financial pressure, leading to a number of high-profile cast cuts.
Actress Roxy Shahidi, who played Leyla Harding for 17 years, was reportedly devastated after being told her character would be killed off.
Likewise, Lesley Dunlop, known for her portrayal of Brenda Walker, was also let go after 16 years on the show.
Other stars, including Paula Lane, Dean Andrews, and Susan Cookson, were similarly axed, leaving fans in shock over the unexpected departures.
The Sun also revealed last month that 75 additional cast and crew members from Emmerdale and Coronation Street will lose their jobs amid ITV’s ongoing cash crisis.
The channel will make an hour less soap content a week and air the much-loved programmes as two back-to-back, 30 minute episodes amid a budget crisis.
The teams were told last month that they needed to be on site for a formal meeting, with the news reducing most to tears.
Around 600 people work across Corrie and Emmerdale.
The brunt of the job losses are likely to be felt in production.
Currently, Emmerdale airs six episodes per week, Monday to Friday with a double episode on Thursdays.
Coronation Street also airs six episodes per week, spread across Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with two episodes each night.
Now just five 30-minute episodes of each soap will air.
Under the new changes, which will begin in January 2026, Emmerdale will air for half an hour every day at 8pm, followed by a half-hour episode of Coronation Street straight after at 8:30pm.
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It is being dubbed a soap “power hour”.
ITV boss Kevin Lygo said: “This new commissioning pattern will mean five hours of soaps a week, rather than the current six.
“We are conscious this will have an impact for the people who work on the soaps team.
“We will support our colleagues in ITV Studios as they work through these changes, and will do what we can to mitigate the impact on our people.”
He went on: “These changes are motivated by doing what we believe is best for the continuing success of these important programmes in the long term.
“They also create headroom in the overall programme budget for investment in programming that can help ITV grow reach in a very very competitive market.”
Insiders at the channel said it will help make both Emmerdale and Coronation Street more “streaming-friendly”.
The new structure will launch with a huge stunt on both soaps.
A source added: “Soaps are incredibly important to ITV and this is about preserving their longevity for the future.
“There has been a super squeeze in production costs and it was necessary to make changes but Corrie and Emmerdale both remain integral to ITV.”
Kim Tate’s infamous doomed wedding goes down in show history[/caption]
Nicky Milligan is played by Lewis Cope[/caption]
