PICKS OF THE MONTH: MAY 2026, NEW AND RETURNING TITLES REVEALED

The new and returning titles airing this May 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.

 AMANDALAND

With both Manus and Georgie at secondary school, Amanda had to try and get her head around raising teenagers, dealing with modern motherhood horrors like teenage drinking, fake Instagram accounts and eco anxiety. Not even a woman as certain of her parenting as Amanda could deal with those nightmares alone.

Amanda’s mother Felicity (Joanna Lumley) was constantly around, and completely in denial that she was, in fact, lonely. Theirs is a slightly unhealthy co-dependent relationship based on backhanded compliments and veiled snipes about her new home.

 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.

 SMOGGIE QUEENS

Joining the Smoggie family for this second series, which is set and filmed in Middlesbrough, is BAFTA winning Monica Dolan along with Amalia Vitale and Freya Parker as well as Middlesbrough legends Jeff Stelling and Chris Kamara.

Returning cast are Neil Grainger, Charlotte Riley, Peter McPherson, Lauryn Redding, Michael Mather, Bill Fellows, Michael Hodgson, Steph McGovern and Michelle Visage.

 DEATH VALLEY

The unlikely crime solving duo make a welcome return as retired actor John Chapel and disarming Welsh detective sergeant Janie Mallowan, alongside regular cast Alexandria Riley (Helen Baxter), Steffan Rhodri (DCI Barry Clarke), Melanie Walters (Yvonne Mallowan) and Rithvik Andugula (DC Evan Chaudhry).

 BLANKETY BLANK

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.

 BELIEVE ME

The story of three victims of John Worboys, one of the most prolific sex attackers in British history who was dubbed by the media as the Black Cab Rapist after preying on women under the cover of being a ‘respectable’ licensed taxi-cab driver.

Aimée-Ffion Edwards (Slow Horses, Peaky Blinders, Dreamland, Mr Burton) Miriam Petche (Industry) and Aasiya Shah (Raised by Wolves, Bloods, The Beast Must Die) play the women Worboys sexually assaulted, while Daniel Mays (Des, A Thousand Blows, The Long Shadow, Moonflower Murders) takes the role of John Worboys.

 THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Series continues

A thrilling new entertainment format which sees families and households compete in a street-sized reality game and battle it out for the chance to take home a life-changing £250,000 cash prize. Hosted by Graham Norton, this brand-new series offers a gameshow as you’ve never seen it before - it marries high-stakes competition, neighbourhood challenges, and relatable domestic drama to offer a different flavour of reality.

The Neighbourhood will see real-life households from all walks of life move in and live side by side, finding themselves not only neighbours, but also fierce competitors in the ultimate reality showdown. This is a game the households will live as well as play - they’ll be with each other 24/7, sleeping and eating in their houses, socialising together and then voting each other out.

The challenges they face in public will change the dynamics behind closed doors, and they’ll need to beat their neighbours while still staying popular on the street to win.

 SOCCER AID FOR UNICEF

The England squad features football legends Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe and Jill Scott, all stepping up for the Three Lions. They’ll be joined by fan‑favourite celebrities Angry Ginge, Sam Thompson and Olly Murs, coached by Soccer Aid co‑founder Robbie Williams, with Joe Marler lining up in goal.

England will face tough opposition from the Soccer Aid World XI, including Nitro from Gladiators, football icons Jordi Alba and Leonardo Bonucci, and returning hero Big Zuu, who scored last year’s dramatic winning goal. The World XI will be coached by Soccer Aid stalwart and Olympic champion Usain Bolt.

 BULLSEYE: CELEBRITY SPECIAL

Celebrity special in aid of Soccer Aid for UNICEF, hosted by Freddie Flintoff. The programme will follow the original format with the playing teams made up of an amateur dart player, known as the ‘thrower’, and their team partner, the ‘knower’. They will combine their skills, throwing darts at different game boards, whilst answering questions correctly for ‘points and prizes’.

 DEAL OR NO DEAL: CELEBRITY SPECIAL

Stephen Mulhern hosts a celebrity special of Deal Or No Deal in aid of Soccer Aid for UNICEF where a famous face takes on the Banker to raise money for UNICEF. Behind the famous boxes will be their friends, family and some of the Soccer Aid stars. 

 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT: LIVE SEMI-FINALS

In each of the five live semi-final rounds, either one judge or Ant & Dec will be appointed control of the new Golden Buzzer. As soon as they see a performance worthy of a place in the final, they will have just one opportunity to press it.

The eight acts that will be competing each night will put on the show of their lives, as they fight for that Golden Buzzer to be pressed, taking them straight to the final. The public will then vote for their winning act of the night, who will gain a place in the live final.

 VIRGIN ISLAND

The groundbreaking and heartwarming series follows 12 adult virgins, as they travel to a luxury Mediterranean retreat to embark on a unique course in intimacy, to see if it can help them overcome the fears that are holding them back. This warm, authentic and thought-provoking series explores these issues as some of the world’s leading sexologists take the twelve courageous virgins on a unique, hands-on programme, to help them take their first steps towards sex and intimacy. 

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