Get ready to think outside The Box, because Gary Lineker’s brand-new celebrity competition is almost here. The Box begins on ITV1 and ITVX on Saturday, 5 September 2026, with 10 famous faces including Joey Essex, Shakira Khan, JB Gill, Jenny Ryan and Sara Davies being transported across the country inside giant yellow boxes before discovering what challenge is waiting for them when the doors open.
The new series consists of six episodes, with ITV giving it a big two-night launch across Saturday and Sunday. Each episode will test the celebrities with physical, mental and logical challenges, often with little or no instruction, before the two lowest-performing contestants face The Duel and one person is eliminated.
When Does The Box Start on ITV?
The Box launches on Saturday, 5 September, with ITV’s current television guide listing the first episode at 8:15pm on ITV1. Episode 2 follows the very next evening, Sunday, 6 September, at 8pm. Both episodes will also be available through ITVX, while viewers in Scotland can watch through STV and STV Player.
That means viewers will get two eliminations across the opening weekend rather than waiting a full week after meeting the contestants. Earlier publicity listed slightly earlier start times for both episodes, so it is worth checking the ITV schedule closer to transmission in case timings move again.
When Does The Box Finish?
ITV has confirmed that The Box consists of six episodes, but it has not officially published the complete episode schedule or finale date at the time of writing. Current reporting says the series will continue across both Saturday and Sunday on the second weekend before moving to Saturday nights for the remaining episodes. If that schedule holds, The Box should finish on Saturday, 26 September 2026.
The expected schedule is:
Saturday, 5 September – Episode 1
Sunday, 6 September – Episode 2
Saturday, 12 September – Episode 3, expected
Sunday, 13 September – Episode 4, expected
Saturday, 19 September – Episode 5, expected
Saturday, 26 September – Episode 6, predicted finale
We will update this schedule as soon as ITV confirms the remaining episode dates.
Who Is in The Box Celebrity Cast?
The 10 celebrities taking part are Joey Essex, Sara Davies, Graeme Souness, Ellie Taylor, Shakira Khan, JB Gill, John Bercow, Jenny Ryan, Danny Aarons and Ranvir Singh, giving us a suitably random mix of reality TV, music, comedy, sport, politics and broadcasting.
Joey Essex is no stranger to being thrown into bizarre reality TV situations, while The Chase star Jenny Ryan feels like someone we would want on our side for anything requiring logic. Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies should also bring a competitive streak, and putting former Liverpool captain Graeme Souness, former Commons Speaker John Bercow and YouTuber Danny Aarons into the same competition already sounds like television we need to see.
How Does The Box Work?
Each contestant begins inside their own yellow box without knowing where they are being taken. Once the doors open, they discover both their location and the challenge they need to complete, sometimes with almost no explanation of what they are actually supposed to do.
The games can test physical ability, logic, teamwork or problem-solving, and Gary Lineker oversees the action as host. At the end of each episode, the two lowest-performing celebrities enter The Duel, where they compete directly against each other and the loser leaves the competition. Lineker described the format as competitive and unpredictable, with individual and team challenges before each episode reaches its elimination.
What Is The Duel?
The Duel is the final challenge of each episode and determines who is eliminated. After the main games, the two contestants at the bottom of the competition go head-to-head, with only one keeping their place in the series. That should also mean the cast gets smaller with every episode, taking the competition from 10 celebrities towards one eventual winner. With nobody knowing what challenge is waiting when those yellow doors open, there is plenty of room for someone who looks like an obvious frontrunner to suddenly find themselves fighting to stay in.
Who Hosts The Box?
Gary Lineker hosts the UK version after more than two decades presenting Match of the Day. There is a fairly unavoidable football joke built into the whole thing too, with the former England striker once known as a “fox in the box” now overseeing 10 celebrities literally being driven around inside boxes.
The format originally launched in Norway, where its first series was successful enough to earn a second run, before ITV commissioned the British version from Twofour.
For CultureCues, this sounds like the kind of celebrity TV we can get behind. The idea of celebrities being driven around the country inside giant yellow boxes before finding out what challenge is waiting for them is already pretty funny, and it should make for some unpredictable moments. We are also keen to see Gary Lineker take on a different kind of presenting role. Consider us firmly inside The Box for this one.
The Box begins on ITV1 and ITVX on Saturday, 5 September, with Episode 2 airing the following night.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.