Big Brother is almost back for 2026, and now we finally have the official launch date. We previously had Sunday, 13 September down as the expected return, and ITV has now confirmed it, with the new series beginning at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX. AJ Odudu and Will Best will also be back to welcome a brand-new group of Housemates. We can’t wait to see who walks through those doors.

This year viewers are getting even more time inside the house, with Big Brother returning for an extended eight-week run. ITV is promising a “house of surprises”, with unexpected twists, ambitious tasks, high-stakes nominations and live evictions ahead as the Housemates compete for the cash prize.

When Does Big Brother 2026 Start?

Big Brother 2026 officially begins on Sunday, 13 September at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

The date is now confirmed, meaning there are less than two weeks to go until we find out who is entering the house. AJ Odudu and Will Best will return as hosts, having fronted the show since ITV brought Big Brother back in 2023. This year’s Housemates have not yet been revealed.

How Long Will Big Brother 2026 Run For?

The new series will run for eight weeks, making it an extended edition of the ITV reboot. Big Brother will air every night apart from Saturdays throughout its eight-week run, with episodes airing Sunday to Friday across September, October and into early November. An eight-week run also gives this year’s Housemates considerably longer inside the experiment, with more time for friendships, relationships and rivalries to develop before the winner is decided by the public.

When Could the Big Brother 2026 Final Be?

ITV has not yet announced the finale date. Production information has pointed towards Thursday, 5 November, which would fit with the confirmed eight-week run beginning on 13 September. For now, however, 5 November should still be treated as the expected finale date until ITV confirms the final week schedule.

What Is Changing for Big Brother 2026?

ITV has described this year as a “house of surprises”, with the new Housemates facing plenty of unexpected changes throughout the series. The first trailer arrived in August with the warning: “If you think you know the game? Think again!” It also teased “a new house every week”, suggesting the surroundings themselves could play a bigger part in this year’s challenges. There will still be the familiar Big Brother ingredients too, including nominations, tasks and live evictions as the group is gradually reduced to the finalists.

What Is Big Brother: The Group Chat?

There is also a brand-new companion show. Big Brother: The Group Chat will be hosted by former Big Brother winner Kate Lawler and GK Barry and air Sunday to Thursday immediately after the main programme.

Episodes will be available across ITV2, ITVX and YouTube, as well as major podcast platforms. The show will discuss what has happened inside the house each night, with evicted Housemates, celebrity fans and special guests joining Kate and GK to talk through the relationships, arguments, nominations and other big moments from the series.

Lawler won Big Brother Series 3 in 2002, making her return to the franchise 24 years after first entering the house herself. GK Barry joins her after previously appearing on ITV reality television and building a huge audience through her Saving Grace podcast.

For CultureCues, we are very ready to have Big Brother back, and it is good to finally have that launch date confirmed. An eight-week series gives us plenty of time to actually get to know this year’s Housemates, and we are looking forward to seeing what ITV means by a “house of surprises”. Kate Lawler and GK Barry joining the conversation afterwards should add a whole lot of extra fun to the nightly Big Brother routine too. Now there is really only one question left: who is going through those doors?

Big Brother 2026 begins on Sunday, 13 September at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.