The Big Quiz: Coronation Street v Emmerdale: what time is it on TV, who are the contestants - how to watch?

Coronation Street, the longest-running soap opera of all time, with more than 10,000 episodes airing since the series debuted on 9 December 1960. Emmerdale is a spring chicken in comparison, first appearing on our screens as Emmerdale Farm in 1972, and with just under 9,000 episodes airing to date.

The game show between the two soaps has been run annually since 2011, and sees two teams of three stars from each soap take on quiz questions about their shows. Over several rounds, the actors will put their heads together in a soap derby to determine which ITV show is the brainiest.

What is The Big Quiz?

The Big Quiz sees stars from two of the UK’s most popular soap operas answering questions about their own shows over several rounds. In Soapstars Off Set, the teams will test their knowledge of their teammates’ social media posts, as well as iconic double acts from both show’s history.

The National Treasure Hunt round will see each team tasked with finding Ken Barlow and Eric Pollard after the long-running soap characters go missing. In Soapstars In The Shadows, each team will be tasked with finding their former co-stars. Over the years, Coronation Street and Emmerdale have both taken four victories each, meaning that this year’s quiz will see one soap pull ahead.

Who is the host of The Big Quiz?

Stephen Mulhern hosts the quiz - the street magician turned presenter has been a presence on ITV for more than a decade. He presented the ITV2 series Britain’s Got More Talent from 2007-2019, and began presenting Catchphrase in 2013.

Who are The Big Quiz contestants?

Jack P Shepherd is team captain of the Coronation Street team this year. Shepherd plays David Platt, appearing in more than 2,200 episodes since 2000. David is the son of Gail Platt and is engaged to Shona Ramsey - after getting into trouble as a teenager, he now works as a barber.

Shepherd is joined by Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Metcalfe, who has appeared on the soap since 1986 - Sally Webster is known for her on again off again relationship with Kevin Webster. Ryan Russell, who plays Michael Bailey - a relative newcomer to the street, who has appeared in over 200 episodes since 2019. Michael is a labourer who purchases the local builders yard.

Mark Charnock is team captain for the Emmerdale squad - he plays Marlon Dingle, a chef at the Woolpack pub, and the husband of Rhona. Charnock has featured in almost 2,500 episodes since 1996. Nicola Wheeler will also be on the team, she has played Nicola King in 1,900 episodes since 2001, she has had several jobs in the village including barmaid, councillor, and cafe owner. Jurell Carter completes the Emmerdale team - he played Nate Robinson, a farmer at Butler’s Farm, since 2019.

When is The Big Quiz on TV?

The Big Quiz will air on ITV on Monday 5 December 2022 at 9.15pm - the episode is one hour long. It is available to watch on ITVX now.