2025 in British television

This is a list of events that took place in 2025 relating to television in the United Kingdom.

Events

January

Date	Event
1	BBC One sees in the New Year with Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who performs and hosts a "New Year Disco".
1	Ross Kemp will reprise his role as EastEnders character Grant Mitchell to coincide with the programme's 40th anniversary.
1	Details of the most-watched television events of the decade so far are released. In first place is Boris Johnson's 23 March 2020 Downing Street address at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, watched by 28.3 million viewers. This is followed by an address given by Johnson on, watched by 27.6 million. In third place is the state funeral of Elizabeth II on, followed by Elizabeth II's COVID-19 address on 5 April 2020, and the UEFA Euro 2020 final on 11 July 2021.
1	Joel Dommett and Ellie Taylor are crowned the winners of the Gladiators Celebrity Special after beating Rob Beckett and Louise Minchin.
1	All WWE wrestling programmes move to Netflix after many years on linear TV channels including TNT Sports, with the WWE Network closing down at the same time.
2	A new Gavin & Stacey clip showing scenes from a long-discussed fishing trip that was a running joke throughout the series is released.
6	Barb-produced figures give the Christmas Day episode of Gavin and Stacey an audience of 19.11 million in the first week following its transmission.
6	After 20 years on Channel 4, the broadcaster moves its traditional weeknight showing of The Simpsons to E4.
6	Debut of BBC Scotland's new weeknight news bulletin, Reporting Scotland: News at Seven, presented by Laura Maciver and Amy Irons.
10	Royal Mail launches a set of special stamps to celebrate award-winning sitcom The Vicar of Dibley.
11	An advert for Endrick Clothing filmed on the wedding day of reality TV stars Vicky Pattison and Ercan Ramadan, and that shows the groom and groomsmen smoking cigars, is banned by the Advertising Standards Agency for glamorising smoking.
13	It is announced that London Live will close down on 19 January at midnight.
15	The BBC News Channel stops simulcasting BBC Breakfast during the week, instead airing the global news service which, at that time of day, broadcasts rolling news and business reports. Breakfast will continue to air on the BBC News Channel at the weekend, unless there is breaking news at weekends when it sticks with the international feed.
15	It is announced that Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will replace Gary Lineker as presenters of Match of the Day from the beginning of the next football season.
15	Cyclone and Hammer are announced as two new Gladiators ahead of the second series on BBC One.
16	ITV announces the cancellation of Bath-set crime drama McDonald & Dodds after four series due to a drop in ratings.
17	Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announces that the BBC would not be funded from general taxation if the TV licence fee were to be abolished.
19	London Live closes down following the sale of the channel to David Montgomery's Local TV Ltd.
20	London TV, a London version of the Local TV Network, which airs True Crime for most of the day, replaces London Live as London's local television station.
24	Jake Brown and Leanne Quigley win the third series of The Traitors. Overnight viewing figures indicate the episode had an audience of 7.4 million viewers, giving the programme its highest viewing figures to date.
26	Comedian Josh Jones is forced to withdraw from Dancing on Ice due to an injury sustained while training.
27	Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, makes a cameo appearance in an episode of Emmerdale.
30	Sally Magnusson announces she will stand down as presenter of the BBC's Reporting Scotland in April, but will continue to work for the BBC on a freelance basis.
30	Natalie Cassidy announces her departure from EastEnders, with her character Sonia Fowler set to leave during the show's 40th anniversary.

February

Date	Event
5	Newscaster Kay Burley announces, during her breakfast show, she is leaving Sky News with immediate effect after 36 years with the channel.
6	An ITV News investigation uncovers a number of allegations relating to inappropriate and intimidating behaviour by celebrity chef Gino D'Acampo.
7	ITV removes Gino D'Acampo's upcoming shows from its schedule after he was accused of inappropriate and intimidating behaviour on set as well as pulling repeats of the most recent series of Family Fortunes.
12	Ofcom says it is "carefully assessing" 1,227 complaints relating to comments made by Josh Howie on an edition of GB News's Headliners on 22 January concerning the LGBT community.
15	Netflix are forced to move their BAFTA Awards afterparty, scheduled to be held at the Chiltern Firehouse the following day, to a different venue after a fire at the hotel.
15	Kay Wright is appointed Head of BBC Midlands, overseeing radio, television and online content in the East and West Midlands areas.
18	Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders, tells BBC Breakfast the franchise will continue beyond the upcoming film.
19	EastEnders celebrates its 40th anniversary. The celebrations include two viewer votes to decide the outcome of storylines, a first for a British soap opera.
20	Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says she will raise concerns with BBC bosses over the documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, narrated by a 13-year-old boy who is the son of Hamas's deputy minister of agriculture. Hamas is a prescribed terrorist group in the UK, Israel and many other countries. The film is subsequently removed from BBC iPlayer.
20	As part of their 40th anniversary week celebrations, EastEnders airs a live episode, during which the character Martin Fowler is killed-off. Overnight viewing figures indicate the episode was watched by an average 3.7 million viewers.
20	Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson announce they are stepping down from control of the James Bond franchise, with creative control going to Amazon MGM Studios.
21	Amazon MGM Studios announces that Australian soap Neighbours will finish at the end of 2025, the second time the series has been cancelled, and two years after Amazon relaunched it.
22	The BBC announces the return of Vicki Fowler to EastEnders after 21 years, with the role recast to Alice Haig.
25	Actor Alexander Westwood, who appeared in the Netflix series Sex Education, is sentenced to fifteen and a half years in prison after he was convicted of 26 crimes against children and two pupils who went to him for acting tuition.
27	To promote the release of new episodes of Peppa Pig, Mummy Pig appears on Good Morning Britain to announce her third pregnancy.
27	Charlotte Moore announces her departure as BBC Chief Content Officer; she will leave the post later in the year.
28	Eurosport closes in the UK and Ireland after 36 years when TNT Sports incorporates the coverage previously shown on Eurosport. This includes the Olympic Games, cycling, snooker, tennis and winter sports.
28	The High Court rules that Ofcom acted unlawfully with rulings over two shows hosted by Jacob Rees-Mogg on GB News in 2023, which it said breached the broadcasting code on impartiality grounds. It is the first time Ofcom has lost such a case.
28	Philip Foster, an actor who appeared in Channel 4 soap Brookside, is sentenced to eight and a half years in prison at Sheffield Crown Court over a £13.6m fraud involving fake model agencies.

March

Date	Event
1	ITV airs the 2025 Brit Awards. In the days following the ceremony, media regulator Ofcom received 825 complaints, the majority of them about Sabrina Carpenter's pre-watershed opening performance and Charli XCX's outfit.
3	BBC Two airs the 500th edition of the quiz show Only Connect.
3	Almost four years after leaving the programme, Piers Morgan returns to Good Morning Britain as a guest to discuss a recent conversation with US President Donald Trump.
7	All-female country trio Remember Monday are chosen to represent the UK at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest with their song "What the Hell Just Happened?".
7	Businesswoman Sara Davies announces she is to step away from her role on BBC One's Dragons' Den later in 2025.
9	Sam Aston and professional dance partner Molly Lanaghan win series 17 of Dancing on Ice.
11	Emmerdale announce that they have dropped freelance screenwriter Martin Fustes, who had been writing for the soap for eleven years, since Fustes had earlier that week admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and intentional suffocation. They also withdraw their submission for the 2025 British Academy Television Awards, an episode written by Fustes that featured the fictional court trial of Tom King, a character who had been subjecting his wife to physical and emotional abuse and coercive control.
12	Channel 5 rebrands its television channel and online streaming service as 5, the third time the channel has undergone a rebrand since its launch in 1997.
13	Bargain Hunt celebrates its 25th anniversary.
14	BBC News presenters Martine Croxall, Annita McVeigh, Karin Giannone and Kasia Madera settle with the channel over sex and age discrimination relating to the merger of its domestic and international news channels in 2023. Since which three have regained their roles as main presenters with McVeigh becoming a chief presenter.
14	The BBC and ITV agree a new four-year deal to air the Six Nations Championship keeping it on free-to-air television until 2029. Under the deal, which begins in 2026, ITV will show ten matches, including all England games, while the BBC will air at least five games involving Scotland and Wales. The BBC will also have exclusive rights to the Women's Six Nations Championship and the Under-20 Six Nations Championship.
14	Ofcom removes three breaches of broadcasting code conditions against GB News following the High Court ruling in the channel's favour at the end of February.
17	Ofcom drops its remaining impartiality investigations against GB News following the High Court's ruling in the channel's favour.
18	BBC Scotland announces its flagship soap, River City, will end in Autumn 2026 after 24 years on air.
19	Amanda Mealing pleads guilty to driving while under the influence of drugs, having tested positive for cocaine and benzoylecgonine in a roadside test. She also pleads guilty to driving without due care and attention. Mealing is banned from driving for 22 months, fined £485 and ordered to pay £400 in court costs and a surcharge of £194.
20	Jo Coburn announces her departure from the BBC and as host of the programme BBC Politics Live.
20	Alan Sugar signs a new three-year contract with the BBC, extending his tenure as presenter of The Apprentice until 2029.
21	Four of the UK's biggest sports broadcasters and production companies – the BBC, BT, IMG and ITV – are fined more than £4m for illegally colluding on freelance pay rates.
21	BBC One airs the Red Nose Day 2025 telethon, with £34m raised by the end of the evening.
21	Blue Peter is broadcast live on the CBBC channel for the final time. Going forward, episodes will be pre-recorded and made available on BBC iPlayer first before being shown on CBBC later in the day.
22	Cutbacks at BBC News results in the ending of technology magazine programme Click, after almost exactly 25 years on air. It is replaced the following week by a new technology programme called Tech Now.
24	Netflix drama Adolescence becomes the first streaming show to top the UK's weekly TV ratings, with 6.45 million people watching its first episode.
26	Interview programme HARDtalk ends after 28 years. As with the ending of Click, the programme is being axed as part of the latest cuts and the slots previously occupied by HARDtalk will be replaced by rolling news. HARDtalk had aired several times each day and one, 10.30 am, had seen a UK opt-out for UKspecific news. This opt-out ends and is replaced by the global news feed.
26	ITV announces the cancellation of Dancing on Ice for a second time due to poor viewing figures. It had first launched in 2006 and ran until 2014, before being revived in its current format in 2018.
31	Netflix announces it is to make its drama Adolescence available free to screen in schools.

May

Date	Event
5	Anna Haugh's Big Irish Food Tour makes its debut on BBC Two.
6	The BBC announce plans for a Call the Midwife film set in an overseas location in 1972, as well as a prequel that will be set during.
8	Oghenochuko Ojiri, who appeared as an art expert on Bargain Hunt, has been charged with terror offences, the Metropolitan Police announces.
9	The original 1983 lost pilot episode of Thomas & Friends, narrated by, has been recovered, restored and released to commemorate the 80th anniversary of The Railway Series books by Rev. W. Awdry.
9	Oghenochuko Ojiri pleads guilty to failing to report a series of art sales to a man suspected of financing Hezbollah.
12	The University of Warwick defeats Christ's College, Cambridge to win the 202425 series of University Challenge.
13	Gary Lineker deletes a social media post he shared from the group Palestine Lobby which includes a picture of a rat and makes reference to "Zionism" following criticism. Lineker subsequently apologises for sharing the post.
16	Ncuti Gatwa withdraws from reading out the UK's Eurovision results due to "unforeseen circumstances" and is replaced by.
17	Graham Norton stars in "The Interstellar Song Contest", an episode of Doctor Who which airs ahead of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.
17	JJ wins the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest for Austria with the song "Wasted Love", while the UK entry, "What the Hell Just Happened?" by Remember Monday, finishes in 19th place.
19	Following controversy over a social media post, it is confirmed that Gary Lineker will leave the BBC following his last edition of Match of the Day on 25 May, and will no longer present FA Cup coverage for the BBC during the 2025–26 season, or coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
19	John Robinson, a teacher from Sutton Coldfield, wins the 2024–25 series of Mastermind.
20	ITV announces that Lorraine runtime will be reduced from 60 to 30 minutes from January 2026 as part of job cuts to its daily schedule. Good Morning Britain will be extended by half an hour to fill the airtime, running from 6 am to 9.30 am. Lorraine will also only air for 30 of the 52 weeks each year, with Good Morning Britain broadcast until 10 am whenever Lorraine is not showing.
25	Gary Lineker presents Match of the Day for the final time, having hosted the show since 1999.
26	Former Doctors, Bugs and Casualty actress Jaye Griffiths is announced to be joining the cast of Emmerdale.
27	Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout have been cast as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley for a forthcoming television adaptation of the Harry Potter novel series being produced by HBO.
29	Loose Women panellist Nadia Sawalha has described ITV's announcement of cuts to its daytime schedule as having come "out of the blue" and says they have been "absolutely brutal" for those working on the show.
30	Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Féin from 1983 until 2018, is awarded €100,000 in a libel case in Dublin against the BBC.
31	Ncuti Gatwa departs Doctor Who after the conclusion of his second season, with the end of his final episode, "The Reality War", showing the Fifteenth Doctor regenerating into what is believed to be the Sixteenth Doctor, portrayed by Billie Piper.
31	Harry Moulding, a magician from Blackpool, wins the eighteenth series of Britain's Got Talent.
31	It is reported that Michelle Ryan will reprise her role of Zoe Slater in the BBC soap opera EastEnders after 20 years, despite repeatedly turning down previous offers to return.

June

Date	Event
3	In an email to staff, Adam Smyth, the director of BBC Northern Ireland, says the BBC has "no intention" of blocking its news or other output in the Republic of Ireland.
5	The British Soap Awards returns to ITV for the first time in two years for its 2025 ceremony. EastEnders dominates the categories with eight wins, including Best British Soap, while Lacey Turner wins the award for Best Leading Performer. EastEnders also wins the other publicly voted awards and four panel-voted awards. Hollyoaks wins three awards, Emmerdale wins two, while David Neilson of Coronation Street wins the Outstanding Achievement Award.
6	Former Bargain Hunt art expert Oghenochuko Ojiri is sentenced to two years and six months in prison for failing to declare art he sold to a suspected Hezbollah financier.
6	Sue Cleaver makes her final onscreen appearance as Eileen Grimshaw in Coronation Street after 25 years.
7	EastEnders has suspended actor Jamie Borthwick after a backstage video from a November 2024 edition of Strictly Come Dancing surfaced showing him referring to the inhabitants of Blackpool by using language considered derogatory toward disabled individuals.
9	It is announced that the 2026 Brit Awards will be held at Manchester's Co-op Live arena, the first time the ceremony has been held outside London.
9	Love Island returns for its twelfth series on ITV2.
9	GB News launches new late night programming, with Patrick Christys Tonight: Late Edition on Mondays to Thursdays and Ben Leo Tonight: Late Edition from Fridays to Sundays.
11	Mother and son Caroline and Tom Bridge win series five of Race Across the World.
13	Among those from the world of television to be recognised in the 2025 Birthday Honours are Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly who receive MBEs.
16	Following reports the previous month, Michelle Ryan's return to EastEnders as Zoe Slater airs on BBC One. The episode also marks the first of newly appointed executive producer Ben Wadey's to be transmitted. Overnight viewing figures give the episode an audience of 2.2 million.
19	Richard Frediani, the editor of BBC Breakfast, announces he is taking an extended leave following allegations of bullying.
20	The BBC decides to shelve the documentary, Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, over concerns regarding impartiality. The documentary was commissioned by the BBC, and scheduled for broadcast in February, but has not been aired by the BBC. Ultimately, Channel 4 would acquire the rights to broadcast the documentary on 2 July.
21	EastEnders announces the return of Oscar Branning after eight years, with the role recast to newcomer Pierre Moullier.
23	Television presenter Dermot Murnaghan reveals that he has been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer.
26	The BBC confirms that it will not be broadcasting Neil Young's Glastonbury 2025 set at the request of the artist after he previously stated the festival was a "corporate turn-off" because of the BBC's involvement. This decision is later reversed.
28	Neil Young is the Saturday night headline act on the Pyramid Stage, with the concert broadcast on BBC Two, while Charli XCX headlines on The Other Stage. Her gig, broadcast on BBC One, draws the larger audience.
28	Rap duo Bob Vylan play the West Holts stage at Glastonbury, and lead the crowd in chants calling for death to the Israeli Defence Force. The BBC says footage of the gig will not be made available on BBC iPlayer, while festival organisers say they are "appalled" by the incident. Avon and Somerset Police say they will retrieve footage of the performance to see if an offence has been committed.
30	The BBC issues a statement in which it says it should have cut away from the livestream of Bob Vylan's concert following their anti-IDF chant. The statement comes after Ofcom said the BBC "clearly has questions to answer" over its coverage, and the UK government questioned why the comments were aired live.
30	GB News announces the launch of a nightly show from Washington, D.C. from September, providing coverage of US news stories and presented by Bev Turner.

July

Date	Event
3	The partner of Ashling Murphy, who was murdered in the Republic of Ireland while jogging along a canal bank in January 2022, reaches a settlement with BBC Northern Ireland over a defamation case concerning a November 2023 edition of The View which discussed his victim impact statement.
8	The BBC dismisses Gregg Wallace as presenter of MasterChef after a further 50 complaints emerged concerning his behaviour.
10	Gregg Wallace faces criticism from disability charities after he appeared to link his alleged misconduct to his diagnosis of autism.
13	Dame Melanie Dawes, the chief executive of Ofcom, says the BBC needs to "get a grip quicker" and complete reports and investigations sooner following controversies such as Bob Vylan's Glastonbury appearance.
14	An independent investigation upholds 45 allegations against Gregg Wallace, mostly involving inappropriate language, but including one of unwelcome physical contact and three of being in a state of undress. A total of 83 allegations were made against the former MasterChef presenter.
14	A review of the BBC documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone concludes that it breached editorial guidelines on accuracy by failing to disclose the narrator was the son of a Hamas official.
14	The University for the Creative Arts awards Rose Ayling-Ellis an honorary doctorate for her contribution to acting and campaigning for the deaf community.
14	Production begins on the Harry Potter TV series at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden.
15	John Torode is dismissed from MasterChef after a complaint he used "an extremely offensive racist term" was upheld.
17	It is announced that Scottish comedy Two Doors Down will return for a 2025 Christmas special.
18	Big Brother celebrates its 25th anniversary.
21	Comedian Fred MacAulay reveals he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
23	The BBC confirms that a series of MasterChef recorded in 2024, before Gregg Wallace and John Torode were sacked from the programme, will be aired on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
23	Channel 4 have expressed concern that noise from a new pub adjacent to their premises in Leeds would disrupt news broadcasts.
27	It is announced that professional dancers Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon will join Strictly Come Dancing when it returns in the autumn.
27	The BBC and ITV agree a deal to broadcast the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in the UK. Under the terms of the deal, the two broadcasters will split live coverage of the matches equally between them, along with joint live coverage of the final.
27	The UEFA Women's Euro 2025 football tournament concludes with England winning their second successive European title, defeating Spain in the final on a penalty shootout. The match attracts a peak audience of 16.4 million viewers across both BBC and ITV, making it the most watched television programme of the year so far.
28	Sam Thompson, Joe Wicks, Vogue Williams and Nicola Adams will be taking part in the celebrity special of Gladiators.
30	The BBC announces a renewal of its partnership with the Met Office for weather and climate change forecasts, eight years after ending their association.