When does I'm a Celebrity 2026 start? Date, time and channel
I'm a Celebrity 2026 is expected to start on Monday 16 November at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX. Why it moved, how long it runs and when the cast is revealed.
Updated 14 October 2026
The short answer: I'm a Celebrity 2026 is widely expected to launch on Monday 16 November 2026 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX. ITV hasn't officially confirmed the date yet, so treat it as the strong favourite rather than set in stone (Radio Times).
Why a Monday this year?
The series traditionally starts on a Sunday night. According to The Sun, ITV had planned to launch on Sunday 15 November but moved it back a day because of the UEFA Nations League (Digital Spy). England play Spain that evening, so the jungle waits until Monday (Liverpool Echo).
Key dates at a glance
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Line up announced | Usually a few days before launch |
| Launch show | Monday 16 November 2026, 9pm (expected) |
| Series length | Around three weeks |
| Final | Early December (our estimate) |
The final date is our estimate based on last year. The 2025 series began on Sunday 16 November (Radio Times) and Angry Ginge was crowned on Sunday 7 December after three weeks in camp (BBC News).
Where to watch
The series airs live on ITV1 and streams on ITVX, with Ant and Dec back to present series 26 from Australia (The Independent). Viewers in Scotland watch on STV.
When will we know the campmates?
ITV usually confirms the full line up a few days before the start date (Rayo). Until then it's all rumour. We've rounded up every rumoured campmate so far.
Make launch night count
If your family or friends always argue about who will win, settle it properly this year. Start an I'm a Celebrity league, share the link on WhatsApp, and everyone makes their big calls before the first episode. Picks lock when the launch show starts, so there's no changing your mind once you've seen the first trial.