Big Brother is back tonight, with the 2026 series launching on Sunday, 13 September as a new group of housemates prepare to move into the newly redesigned house. AJ Odudu and Will Best return as hosts for an extended eight-week run, with a new companion show also joining the schedule this year.

What Time Is Big Brother on Tonight?

The Big Brother 2026 launch begins at 9pm tonight on ITV2 and ITVX. The opening night will introduce this year’s new housemates as they enter the house for the first time.

What Is the Big Brother 2026 Schedule?

New episodes of Big Brother will air Sunday to Thursday at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX. That gives viewers five main-show episodes each week. ITV has confirmed this year’s series will be longer than previous ITV editions, with plenty of time for the usual mix of tasks, nominations, evictions and house drama.

Production information currently points to a Thursday, 5 November finale, although ITV has not officially confirmed the date. We will update this article once the final is formally announced.

What Is Big Brother: The Group Chat?

Fans wanting more after the main show can stay tuned for Big Brother: The Group Chat, a new companion programme hosted by former Big Brother winner Kate Lawler and GK Barry.

The show will air straight after Big Brother from Sunday to Thursday and will feature discussion around the latest house drama, alongside interviews with evicted housemates, celebrity fans and special guests.

What Happened in the Big Brother Dry Run?

Ahead of tonight’s launch, ITV opened the normally private Big Brother dry run to viewers for the first time. Angry Ginge and the Bov Boys spent 24 hours inside the house as producers tested the cameras, sound and wider production set-up before the real housemates moved in. The livestream ran across Twitch and the official Big Brother UK and ITV Reality YouTube channels. You can read more about the Big Brother dry run and how the Bov Boys took over the house in our full guide here.

What Does the Big Brother 2026 House Look Like?

ITV has also revealed the redesigned 2026 house, including a red-and-green living room, new bedroom, garden, hot tub and a new red Diary Room chair built around the familiar eye logo.

The house has been described as a “house of surprises”, with ITV teasing unexpected twists and changes throughout the eight-week series. You can see more of the new house and our full first look here.

For CultureCues, launch night is always where Big Brother properly begins, and after the new house reveal and yesterday’s dry run, we are very ready to meet this year’s housemates. Eight weeks should give the new group plenty of time to settle in, fall out, make up and give us plenty of gossip and drama along the way. We will also be interested to see how The Group Chat fits into the nightly routine once the series gets going.

Big Brother 2026 launches tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

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