| List of years in British television |
|---|
This is a list of events in 2026 relating to television in the United Kingdom.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | BBC One airs Ronan Keating & Friends: A New Year's Eve Party to welcome in 2026. [1] |
| BBC One airs a flashforward episode of EastEnders set on New Year's Day 2027 and involving the character Max Branning (played by Jake Wood). [2] Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu) also appears in the episode, suggesting she will make a return to EastEnders during 2026. [3] It also features the return of Mark Fowler Jr, with the role recast to Stephen Aaron-Sipple. [4] | |
| 2 | ITV has announced that the 2026 edition of Celebrity Big Brother will not air in the spring slot until 2027 due to the scheduling issues with the rival reality shows as it moves from ITV1 to ITV2. The twenty-third civilian version will continue as normal later this autumn. |
| 5 | A UK-wide exclusion on junk food advertising on television before the 9pm watershed, and at anytime online, comes into force in an attempt to tackle childhood obesity. [5] |
| Good Morning Britain begins airing from Studio 1 of ITN as it takes over production of the programme from ITV Studios. On the same day, Lorraine , This Morning and Loose Women are relocated to The H Club Studio in Covent Garden. | |
| ITV airs Corriedale , a crossover episode featuring characters from both Coronation Street and Emmerdale . [6] | |
| Channel 5 launches a new weekday daytime schedule of six hours of continuous live talk-focused programming. [7] | |
| 6 | It is announced that former Brookside actors Philip Olivier and Suzanne Collins will join Hollyoaks , where they will reprise their roles as Timothy O'Leary and Nikki Shadwick. [8] |
| 7 | The identity of the "secret traitor", a new feature of the latest series of The Traitors , is revealed. [9] |
| During the evening's edition of Match of the Day , presenter Gabby Logan is replaced by Mark Chapman midway through the programme after Logan is called away because of a family emergency. [10] | |
| 10 | Canadian TV series Heated Rivalry makes its UK television debut on Sky Atlantic. [11] |
| 14 | John Alford is jailed for eight and a half years following his conviction for sexually assaulting two teenage girls in April 2022. [12] |
| ITV confirms that filming for Love Island: All Stars has been suspended for a number of days after the villa used for the series is evacuated due to wildfires. The Number of episodes may therefore decrease to 33, 34 or 35. [13] | |
| 17 | Ant & Dec apologise over an advert for their new podcast was criticised for evoking suicide and as triggering because it showed a pair of feet dangling above the ground. [14] |
| 21 | The BBC announces a landmark deal with YouTube that will see it produce content for the platform. [15] |
| Prue Leith announces she will leave her role as a judge on The Great British Bake Off after a decade with the show. [16] | |
| 23 | Rachel Duffy and Stephen Libby win Series 4 of The Traitors , and share £95,750. [17] |
| 24 | Series 1 of The Traitors Ireland makes its UK television debut on BBC One. [18] |
| 25 | The final edition of Sky News at Ten is transmitted. The programme ends after more than 25 years on air. |
| 26 | The first edition of a new two-hourly late evening programme on Sky News, The Wrap , is broadcast. The programme, which focuses on storytelling and debate rather than being a traditional news bulletin, includes a look at the next day's newspapers. [19] |
| Nigella Lawson is to replace Prue Leith as a judge on The Great British Bake Off , it is announced. [20] | |
| 27 | Weather presenter Carol Kirkwood announces that she has decided to leave the BBC after 28 years with the corporation. She will present her final weather forecast on BBC Breakfast in April. [21] |
| Author and GB News presenter Matt Goodwin is announced as the Reform UK candidate in the 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election. [22] | |
| 28 | The BBC urges producers of The Apprentice to carry out stricter background checks on its contestants after the emergence of offensive tweets posted a decade ago by Levi Hodgetts-Hague, a contestant in Series 20, after filming had finished on the series. [23] |
| 29 | Publication of an independent review into the BBC in which the broadcaster commits to strengthening how it measures the ways audiences from different socio-economic and geographical backgrounds are portrayed and represented in its output. [24] |
| 30 | It emerges that comedian Alan Carr inadvertently revealed he had won the first series of The Celebrity Traitors the day after filming finished. [25] |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 11 | ITV confirms that the 2026 ceremony of The British Soap Awards have been cancelled. [26] |
| 12 | The BBC announces 10% of cost cuts in the face of financial pressures. [27] |
| 14 | Sugababes singer Keisha Buchanan wins the seventh series of The Masked Singer as "Moth". [28] |
| EastEnders producers confirm that Ross Kemp will briefly reprise his role as Grant Mitchell for two major storylines later in the year. [29] | |
| 15 | BBC Two airs a special edition of Newsnight in which Gisèle Pelicot speaks about the aftermath of her former husband's trial. [30] |
| 17 | Channel 5's coverage of snooker expands as it begins to show the Players Championship. Channel 5 will also broadcast the Tour Championship and the British Open. [31] |
| The electronic music and YouTube content creator Look Mum No Computer is chosen to represent the United Kingdom at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest. [32] | |
| 19 | The BBC confirms it will celebrate Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday on 8 May with a week of programming, including three special programmes about the presenter and wildlife expert. [33] |
| Ofcom updates its electoral guidelines for broadcasters ahead of May's local elections. [34] | |
| Former Coronation Street actress Beverley Callard makes her debut in Irish soap Fair City . [35] | |
| 20 | At a hearing at Southwark Crown Court, seven reality stars and influencers from The Only Way Is Essex and Love Island plead guilty to illegally promoting foreign exchange trading on Instagram. Those involved in the case are Lauren Goodger, Yazmin Oukhellou, Rebecca Gormley, Biggs Chris, Jamie Clayton, Scott Timlin, and Eva Zapico. [36] |
| 21 | EastEnders announces that Gemma Bissix will reprise her role of Clare Bates in the soap opera after 18 years, for a short stint as part of a dementia storyline involving Clare's stepfather, Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley). [37] |
| ITV confirms that the revived edition of You Bet! has been cancelled after just two series. | |
| 22 | The 79th British Academy Film Awards are broadcast on BBC One. During the ceremony, Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson (the subject of the biographical drama I Swear , a film nominated for five BAFTAs) has several tic-related outbursts, including screaming a racial slur at black actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo while they are presenting the category of Best Special Visual Effects. This later prompts ceremony host Alan Cumming to apologise for any strong language heard throughout the broadcast, though he thanks the audience for their "understanding" of Tourette's. [38] [39] [40] The BBC apologises the following day for not editing Davidson's outburst during the delayed broadcast. [41] |
| 24 | BBC content director Kate Phillips confirms that a second racial slur that occurred during the BAFTA Film Awards was edited out of the broadcast. [42] |
| Sky One returns after a 4.5 year absence. It replaces Sky Max. Sky Showcase, which had been used as a shop window for the entire Sky portfolio, also closes on this day. [43] | |
| 25 | The BBC launches an investigation into its coverage of the BAFTA Awards. [44] |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 3 | Richard Osman announces that he will relinquish his role as presenter of the quiz Richard Osman's House of Games after nine years, handing the role on to someone else. [45] |
| 6 | The BBC says the broadcast of a racial slur during the BAFTA Awards was a "genuine mistake" but that it is looking into why the footage is still available on BBC iPlayer. [46] |
| BBC News launches a temporay programme nightly at 18:30 The Iran War Today to cover the days events in the 2026 Iran War. [47] | |
| 21 | The UK version of Saturday Night Live is scheduled to launch on Sky One. [48] |
| 26 | Launch of HBO Max in the UK, which will include Friends as part of its streaming content, meaning the series is once again available to watch in the UK. [49] |
| TBA | Launch of Sky and Disney's Disney+ Cinema, which will include films from the film studio's library along with the streaming service becoming available on Sky's pay-TV services as part of a multi-year agreement between the two companies. [50] |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | The annual cost of a television licence in the UK will increase by £5.50 to £180. [51] |
| Virgin Media will add Sky Atlantic to their channel lineup under a new deal with Sky. [52] | |
| 2 | Tim Davie is scheduled to depart his role as Director-General of the BBC, five months after announcing his resignation. [53] |
| 3 | Rhodri Talfan Davies is scheduled to become Acting BBC Director General following the departure of Tim Davie. [54] |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 30 | Sir Damon Buffini will step down as Deputy Chair of the BBC Board and Chair of the Commercial Board. [55] |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Date | Debut | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Wild London | BBC One |
| Shedites | ||
| 3 January | Waiting for the Out | |
| 5 January | Lynley | |
| Lucy Worsley's Victorian Murder Club | BBC Two | |
| 7 January | Can You Keep a Secret? | BBC One |
| 26 January | Clive Myrie's African Adventure | BBC Two |
| One Life | ||
| 8 February | Lord of the Flies | BBC One |
| 9 February | Small Prophets | BBC Two |
| 16 February | Duck & Frog | CBBC |
| Rafi the Wishing Wizard | CBeebies | |
| 23 February | Do You Know Your Place? | BBC Two |
| 4 March | Girl Troop vs Aliens | CBBC |
| 13 March | The Claudia Winkleman Show | BBC One |
| 15 March | The Other Bennet Sister | |
| 25 December | Untitled Call the Midwife prequel [56] | |
| TBA | Ann Droid | |
| Babies | ||
| California Avenue | ||
| The Cage | ||
| Dear England | ||
| The Dream Lands | ||
| First Day on Earth | ||
| The Hairdresser Mysteries | ||
| Half Man | ||
| Mint | ||
| Push [57] | ||
| The Rapture | ||
| Shuggie Bain | ||
| The Split Up | ||
| A Tale of Two Cities | ||
| Two Weeks in August | ||
| We Go Again | BBC Three | |
| Crookhaven | BBC iPlayer | |
| Counsels | BBC Scotland | |
| The Lady Grace Mysteries | TBA | |
| Late in Life | ||
| Wahala | ||
| Date | Debut | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Time is Money | ITV1 |
| 4 January | The Floor | |
| 5 January | Corriedale [58] | |
| 6 January | Millionaire Hot Seat [59] | |
| 8 February | Betrayal | |
| 10 February | The Summit | |
| 22 February | The Lady | ITVX |
| 24 February | The Heat | ITV2 |
| 8 March | Gone | ITVX |
| TBA | Adultery | ITV1 |
| The Box | ||
| Believe Me | ITVX | |
| The Blame | ||
| The Dark | ||
| The Party | ||
| Saviour | ||
| Secret Service | ||
| A Taste for Murder |
| Date | Debut | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 6 January | What Not to Eat | Channel 4 |
| 16 January | David Baddiel: Cat Man | |
| 1 February | Secret Genius | |
| 23 February | Dirty Business | |
| 2 March | Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing | |
| 11 March | A Woman of Substance | |
| TBA | Army of Shadows | |
| Deadpoint | ||
| Falling | ||
| It Gets Worse | ||
| Make That Movie | ||
| Maya | ||
| Number 10 | ||
| Pierre | ||
| Schooled | ||
| Stepping Up | ||
| Tip Toe | ||
| Up to No Good |
| Date | Debut | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| TBA | Death in Benidorm | 5 |
| The Family Secret | ||
| Date | Debut | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 26 January | The Wrap | Sky News |
| 30 January | Under Salt Marsh | Sky Atlantic |
| 24 February | The Dyers' Caravan Park | Sky One |
| 21 March | Saturday Night Live UK | |
| TBA | Force Majeure | |
| Gemma Collins: Four Weddings and a Baby | ||
| War | Sky Atlantic | |
| Inheritance | TBA | |
| Prisoner |
| Date | Debut | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Run Away | Netflix |
| 8 January | Girl Taken | Paramount+ |
| 15 January | Agatha Christie's Seven Dials | Netflix |
| 21 January | Steal | Amazon Prime Video |
| 12 February | How to Get to Heaven from Belfast | Netflix |
| 4 March | Young Sherlock | Amazon Prime Video |
| 25 March | Bait | |
| TBA | Kill Jackie | |
| The Husbands | Apple TV+ | |
| Prodigies | ||
| The Wanted Man | ||
| Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence | BritBox | |
| Marlow | ||
| Alice and Steve | Disney+ | |
| Mosquito | ||
| Legends | Netflix | |
| Pride and Prejudice | ||
| Unchosen | ||
| The Undertow | ||
| Untitled Charlie Brooker Project | ||
| Hit Point | U&Dave | |
| The Christie Affair | TBA | |
| Maigret | ||
| Wavewalker: Breaking Free | ||
| Date | Channel |
|---|---|
| 24 February | Sky One (relaunch) |
| 26 March | HBO Max [60] [61] |
| March | Disney+ Cinema [50] |
| Date | Channel |
|---|---|
| 1 January | |
| Pop (Linear only) | |
| Tiny Pop (Linear only) | |
| 13 January | HGTV |
| 24 February | Sky Showcase |
| Sky Max |
| Date | Channel |
|---|---|
| Programme | Moved from | Moved to |
|---|---|---|
| The Boat Race | BBC One | Channel 4 |
| Peaky Blinders | Netflix | |
| Harley Quinn | E4 | HBO Max |
| The Comeback | Sky Atlantic | |
| Condor | Universal TV | Sky One |
| The Terror | AMC Global | BBC Two |
| All TNT Sports programming | Discovery+ | HBO Max |
| Programme | Date(s) of original removal | Original channel(s) | Date of return | New channel(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Night Manager | 27 March 2016 | BBC One | 1 January 2026 | N/A (same channel as original) |
| Dickinson's Real Deal | 1 February 2024 | ITV1 | 5 January 2026 | |
| Mock the Week | 4 November 2022 | BBC Two | 1 February 2026 | TLC |
| Celebrity Lingo | 19 November 2022 | ITV1 | 25 February 2026 | N/A (same channel as original) |
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| BBC Wimbledon | 1927–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–present |
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| Trooping the Colour | 1937–1939, 1946–2019, 2023–present |
| Boat Race | 1938–1939, 1946–2019, 2021–present |
| BBC Cricket | 1939, 1946–1999, 2020–present |
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| Panorama | 1953–present |
| Eurovision Song Contest | 1956–2019, 2021–present |
| The Sky at Night | 1957–present |
| Final Score | 1958–present |
| Blue Peter |
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| Coronation Street | 1960–present |
| Points of View | 1961–present |
| Songs of Praise | |
| University Challenge | 1962–1987, 1994–present |
| Doctor Who | 1963–1989, 1996, 2005–present |
| Horizon | 1964–present |
| Match of the Day | |
| Top of the Pops | 1964–2006, 2006–present |
| ITV Racing | 1966–1985, 2017–present |
| ITV News at Ten | 1967–1999, 2001–2004, 2008–present |
| Gardeners' World | 1968–present |
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| Emmerdale | 1972–present |
| Mastermind (including Celebrity Mastermind ) | 1972–1997, 2003–present |
| Football Focus | 1974–1988, 1992–present |
| Arena | 1975–present |
| BBC Snooker | |
| Ski Sunday | 1978–present |
| Blankety Blank | 1979–1990, 1997–2002, 2016, 2020–present |
| Antiques Roadshow | 1979–present |
| Question Time |
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| BBC Children in Need | 1980–present |
| Bullseye | 1981–1995, 2006, 2024–present |
| Countdown | 1982–present |
| EastEnders | 1985–present |
| Comic Relief | |
| Catchphrase | 1986–2002, 2013–present |
| Casualty | 1986–present |
| This Morning | 1988–present |
| Countryfile | |
| Wheel of Fortune | 1988–2001, 2024–present |
| Home and Away | 1989–2000, 2001–present |
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| Have I Got News for You | 1990–present |
| MasterChef | 1990–2001, 2005–present |
| Gladiators | 1992–2000, 2008–2009, 2024–present |
| ITV News Meridian | 1993–present |
| National Television Awards | 1995–2008, 2010–present |
| Hollyoaks | 1995–present |
| Silent Witness | 1996–2027 |
| Classic Coronation Street | 1996–2004, 2017–present |
| Midsomer Murders | 1997–present |
| Classic Emmerdale | 1998–2004, 2019–present |
| Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | 1998–2014, 2018–present |
| Loose Women | 1999–present |
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| Bargain Hunt | 2000–present |
| BBC Breakfast | |
| Big Brother | 2000–2018, 2023–present |
| Celebrity Big Brother | 2001–2018, 2024–present |
| Unreported World | 2000–present |
| BBC South East Today | 2001–present |
| Escape to the Country | 2002–present |
| I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! | |
| Saturday Kitchen | |
| Homes Under the Hammer | 2003–present |
| Strictly Come Dancing | 2004–present |
| The Big Fat Quiz of the Year | |
| BBC Newswatch | |
| Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two | |
| Who Do You Think You Are? | |
| The Apprentice | 2005–present |
| Deal or No Deal | 2005–2016, 2023–present |
| Dragons' Den | 2005–present |
| Pocoyo | |
| Springwatch | |
| Not Going Out | 2006–present |
| The One Show | |
| Soccer Aid | |
| Waterloo Road | 2006–2015, 2023–present |
| Britain's Got Talent | 2007–2020, 2022–present |
| Would I Lie to You? | 2007–present |
| Pointless | 2009–present |
| The Chase | |
| Kate Garraway's Life Stories |
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| The Great British Bake Off | 2010–present |
| Great British Railway Journeys | |
| The Only Way Is Essex | |
| Junior Bake Off | 2011–present |
| Made in Chelsea | |
| Death in Paradise | |
| The Jonathan Ross Show | |
| 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown | 2012–present |
| Call the Midwife | |
| The Voice UK | |
| Tipping Point | |
| Father Brown | 2013–2027 |
| GPs: Behind Closed Doors | 2014–present |
| Good Morning Britain | |
| Grantchester | 2014, 2016–2017, 2019–2027 |
| The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice | 2014–present |
| Hunted | 2015–present |
| Love Island | |
| Taskmaster | |
| Travel Man | |
| Bake Off: The Professionals | 2016–present |
| James Martin's Saturday Morning | |
| The Repair Shop | 2017–present |
| Richard Osman's House of Games | |
| Strike | |
| Peston | 2018–present |
| Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star | 2019–present |
| The Hit List | |
| RuPaul's Drag Race UK |
| Programme | Date |
|---|---|
| 2020 | |
| Beat the Chasers | 2020–present |
| The Masked Singer | |
| The Wheel | |
| 2021 | |
| Cooking with the Stars | 2021–present |
| Hope Street | |
| 2022 | |
| The 1% Club | 2022–present |
| Limitless Win | |
| Heartstopper | |
| The Traitors | |
| Trigger Point | |
| Riddiculous | 2022, 2024–present |
| 2023 | |
| BBC News Now | 2023–present |
| Black Ops | |
| Blue Lights | |
| Beyond Paradise | |
| Changing Ends | |
| Doctor Who: Unleashed | |
| I Kissed a Boy | |
| PopMaster TV | |
| The Couple Next Door | |
| The Famous Five | |
| The Finish Line | |
| The Piano | |
| The Toy Hospital | |
| 2024 | |
| After the Flood | 2024–present |
| Boarders | |
| The Golden Cobra | |
| Love Island: All Stars | |
| Ludwig | |
| Only Child | |
| Return to Paradise | |
| Sweetpea | |
| The Answer Run | |
| 2025 | |
| A Thousand Blows | 2025–present |
| Amandaland | |
| Bergerac | |
| The Celebrity Traitors | |
| Chess Masters: The Endgame | |
| Code of Silence | |
| Death Valley | |
| Dept. Q | |
| Horrible Science | |
| The Inner Circle | |
| LOL: Last One Laughing UK | |
| Mobland | |
| The One That Got Away | |
| Patience | |
| Virgin Island | |
| Date | Programme | Channel(s) | Debut(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Run Away | Netflix | 2026 |
| 15 January | Agatha Christie's Seven Dials | ||
| 19 January | Lucy Worsley's Victorian Murder Club | BBC Two | |
| 25 January | Sky News at Ten | Sky News | 1999 |
| 7 February | Waiting for the Out | BBC One | 2026 |
| Date | Name | Age | Broadcast credibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Gregory de Polnay [62] | 82 | English actor ( Dixon of Dock Green , Doctor Who , Howards' Way ) |
| 9 January | Tina Packer [63] | 87 | British actress ( David Copperfield , Doctor Who ) and stage director, co-founder of Shakespeare & Company |
| 10 January | Derek Martin [64] | 92 | English actor ( EastEnders , Law & Order , King and Castle , The Governor ) |
| 11 January | Trevor A Toussaint [65] | 65 | English actor ( Hollyoaks ) |
| 12 January | Sheila Bernette [66] | 94 | English singer ( The Good Old Days , The Black and White Minstrel Show ) and actress ( The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins , Hotel Trubble , Coronation Street ) |
| 4 February | John Virgo [67] | 79 | Snooker player, snooker commentator and game show referee ( Big Break ) |