BBC MAY PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS, NEW AND RETURNING TITLES REVEALED

The new and returning titles coming to BBC channels this May have been revealed.

 THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST

LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER will be representing the United Kingdom at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria in May 2026. LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER is a multi-talented solo artist, experimental singer/songwriter, live electronics performer and composer, inventor of unique musical machines, and self-proclaimed Eurovision fan based in Kent.

 HALF MAN

Drama starring Richard Gadd. Niall and Ruben are brothers. Not related in blood but the closest you can get. One, fierce and loyal. The other, meek and mild-mannered. Inseparable youth. Brought into each other’s lives through death and circumstance, all they have is each other… But when Ruben turns up at Niall’s wedding three decades later, everything seems different.

He is on edge. Shifty. Not acting like himself. And soon, an explosion of violence takes place which catapults us back through their lives, from the eighties to the present day. Capturing 30 years in the lives of these broken men, Half Man explores brotherhood, violence, and the intense fragility of male relationships. After all, when things fall apart… it is sometimes the closest relationships which break the hardest.

 THE CAGE

New drama starring Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha. The Cage is a high-stakes, high energy crime story set within the world of a Liverpool Casino with two unforgettable characters at its heart. When Leanne (Smith) and Matty (Socha) discover they are both robbing from the safe at the inner-city casino they work in, their lives are set on a collision course; with each other, the local gangster they're stealing from, and the police. The five-part thrilling characterful drama will be directed by Al Mackay (Kidnapped, Without Sin) and shot in and around Liverpool and Merseyside.

 CELEBRITY BRIDGE OF LIES

Celebrity Bridge of Lies will once again see much-loved actor and presenter Ross help steer teams of celebrities across the interactive bridge on the studio floor. But they’ll have to be careful to step on the truths and avoid the lies, or they’ll risk falling off and out the game and could go home empty-handed.

 BLANKETY BLANK

To be confirmed

Blankety Blank will once again be hosted by the incomparable Bradley Walsh, who will guide a panel of celebrities and contestants over multiple rounds, as they compete to win a range of…unique prizes!

All that stands in the way is a series of statements with missing BLANKS. Contestants just need to fill in the blanks and if their answer matches those of the celebrities’, they’re in with a chance of taking home the goods, which can vary anywhere from an inflatable hot tub to a garden shed.

 I KISSED A GIRL

Returning to host, and to make sure the girls make connections and find their match is pop icon and LGBTQ+ ally Dannii Minogue. 10 single girls are matched up, and meet for the first time...with a kiss. No chat. No messages. Just one kiss to test their chemistry straight away. Will their kiss be sweet and pure? Passionate and wild? And ultimately, will that first kiss lead to love? Dannii Minogue will throw open the doors to a beautiful location perfect for the ultimate summer of love.

 THE BAFTA TV AWARDS

BAFTA announced renowned comedian Greg Davies as the host of the 2026 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises, to be held on Sunday 10 May at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall and broadcast that evening on BBC One and iPlayer. 

 MASTERCHEF

Series continues

MasterChef announced Grace Dent and Anna Haugh as the new judges for the forthcoming 22nd amateur series on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Award-winning restaurant critic and journalist, Grace Dent, and Chef Patron of Myrtle Restaurant and TV presenter, Anna Haugh, are both experienced MasterChef judges across various series.

 RACE ACROSS THE WORLD

Series continues

Five intrepid teams embark on the journey of a lifetime, racing more than 12,000km across Europe and Asia, the largest continental area on earth. The route carves through eight distinctive countries: Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia – each with its own language, culture and climate.

In the most extreme race to date, conditions swing from 30°C Mediterranean heat to subarctic temperatures of -20°C. And they’ve got to do it all on a budget of less than £26 per person per day.

More details on all titles will be announced in due course.