The hunt is officially on. Celebrity Hunted returned to Channel 4 on Monday, 3 August 2026, sending 12 famous faces across mainland Britain in support of Stand Up To Cancer. The seventh series contains eight episodes, with the opening instalments airing twice weekly on Monday and Tuesday nights.
This year’s celebrity fugitives include Strictly Come Dancing professionals Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu, father-and-daughter pairing Brian and Lucy Conley, and Love Island favourites Chris Taylor and Toby Aromolaran. They have 14 days to avoid Ray Howard and his team of experienced Hunters.
What Is the Celebrity Hunted 2026 Episode Schedule?
Channel 4 has confirmed the dates and times for the opening four episodes, which air at 9pm on consecutive Monday and Tuesday nights. Each instalment is one hour long.
The confirmed schedule is:
Monday, 3 August – Episode 1, 9pm
Tuesday, 4 August – Episode 2, 9pm
Monday, 10 August – Episode 3, 9pm
Tuesday, 11 August – Episode 4, 9pm
The dates for Episodes 5 to 8 have not yet been officially confirmed. However, if Channel 4 continues releasing two episodes each week, the remaining schedule should be:
Monday, 17 August – Episode 5, 9pm
Tuesday, 18 August – Episode 6, 9pm
Monday, 24 August – Episode 7, 9pm
Tuesday, 25 August – Episode 8, Finale, 9pm
Note: The second half of this schedule remains a prediction until Channel 4 confirms its listings, so the dates could still change. CultureCues will update this guide if any new timings or schedule changes are announced.
When Is the Celebrity Hunted 2026 Finale?
Based on the current Monday and Tuesday release pattern, the Celebrity Hunted 2026 finale is expected to air on Tuesday, 25 August at 9pm. Channel 4 has not yet confirmed the final date, but eight episodes released at the current pace would take the series through to that evening.
The last episode will follow any remaining fugitives as they receive their extraction details and attempt one final escape. Reaching the last day does not guarantee victory, so even celebrities who survive most of the 14-day hunt could still be caught before completing the challenge.
Who Is Taking Part in Celebrity Hunted 2026?
Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu
Brian Conley and Lucy Conley
Chris Taylor and Toby Aromolaran
JJ Chalmers and Sophie Morgan
Scarlette Douglas and Stuart Douglas
Jen Brister and Laura Smyth
The line-up brings together dancers, comedians, presenters and reality television personalities, with siblings and a father-and-daughter team among those attempting to disappear. JJ Chalmers and Sophie Morgan previously worked together on Channel 4’s coverage of the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Scarlette and Stuart Douglas have presented several property programmes together, and comedians Jen Brister and Laura Smyth bring another established friendship into the competition.
How Does Celebrity Hunted Work?
The six pairs must cut themselves off from their usual lives and remain hidden across mainland Britain for 14 days. They can ask members of the public for transport, accommodation and assistance, but every phone call, camera sighting or familiar contact could help the Hunters locate them. Ray Howard leads a team drawn from policing, military and intelligence backgrounds. The Hunters use techniques including CCTV analysis, facial recognition, and vehicle tracking as they attempt to capture every fugitive before the final extraction.
The 2026 series begins with an aerial launch among London’s skyscrapers. Shine TV’s Matt Bennett described it as the programme’s “most ambitious series yet”, promising a daring final escape for anyone who remains free at the end of the run.
Where Can You Watch Celebrity Hunted 2026?
New episodes air on Channel 4 at 9pm on Monday and Tuesday nights. Episodes are also available to stream through Channel 4, allowing viewers to catch up after their television broadcast.
At CultureCues, we love seeing how quickly the celebrities’ carefully prepared plans begin to fall apart once the Hunters close in. This year’s group has plenty of strong partnerships, but being famous makes disappearing much harder when almost anyone could recognise you. We already shared our guesses about who might be caught first, and now the chase has begun, we are looking forward to seeing whether any of them can prove us wrong. Let the hunt continue…
Celebrity Hunted continues on Channel 4 at 9pm on Tuesday, 4 August 2026.
CultureCues Editorial is the house byline for short-form entertainment news, trailer updates, release announcements and industry coverage. All CultureCues content is overseen by founder and editor Nikki Murray.