THE BOX: LAUNCH OF NEW ENTERTAINMENT SERIES HOSTED BY GARY LINEKER PUSHED BACK BY ITV

 EXCLUSIVE

ITV have pushed back the launch of new entertainment series The Box from its original planned launch date, TV Zone understands. The series was originally due to launch this Spring alongside Britain's Got Talent and air before this Summer's World Cup.

Hosted by legendary broadcaster Gary Lineker, The Box plunges 10 celebrity contestants into the unknown. With each celebrity enclosed in a yellow box, they’ll find themselves in mystery locations across the country.

They will never know where they are, or what challenge is facing them on the other side. The challenges could be physical, mental, logical, funny, a bit daunting, or all of those at once. With minimal or no instruction, they must decipher and work out what to do. At the end of each episode, two players will battle it out in The Duel, a high-stakes head-to-head game to avoid elimination. 

Last year ITV stated the show would air within the second quarter of the year (April-June), with TV Zone understanding it was originally due to air alongside Britain's Got Talent - the slot now occupied by Celebrity Sabotage.

The ten famous faces taking part are Sara Davies, Graeme Souness, Ellie Taylor, John Bercow, Shakira Khan, JB Gill, Ranvir Singh, Jenny Ryan, Danny Aarons and Joey Essex.

Host Gary Lineker says: “From my experience, the most successful teams are built on a mix of strengths and abilities, and that’s exactly what we’ve got with this lineup. I’m excited to be on the sideline with a front row seat to see all the action unfold!"

Katie Rawcliffe, Director of Entertainment, Reality & Daytime Commissioning ITV says: “We’re delighted to welcome this impressive lineup of celebrities to The Box. They will each bring a unique perspective and approach to the varying challenges they will face, and observing how they react will make for incredibly entertaining viewing for our audiences.”

The Box will air on ITV1 and ITVX.