Overview

• ITV has confirmed Lineker as host of The Box with filming set for autumn and a planned early spring 2026 broadcast.
• The Box places 12 celebrity contestants in individual boxes to face surprise physical and mental challenges.
• The format was developed for Norway’s TV2, where it drew viewers equal to a fifth of the population before being sold to Denmark and the UK.
• ITV aims to position the series as a successor to Ant & Dec’s long-running Saturday Night Takeaway, which ended in April 2024.
• Lineker steps into the role following his May departure from the BBC after a social-media post prompted an impartiality dispute.