Overview

• The 26th season premiered on Friday 5 September at 9pm on Channel 4, introducing the new contributors on screen.
• New arrivals are friends Jake and Calum from Glasgow; the Gordons — Andre, Sarah and daughter Chee — from Surrey; married couple Andrew and Alfie from the Cotswolds; Sara and her daughter‑in‑law Lara from Yorkshire; and sisters Rosie and Susie from Edinburgh.
• Many regulars returned alongside the newcomers, including Jenny and Lee, the Siddiquis, the Malones, Giles and Mary, Ellie and Izzi, and David and Shirley.
• Studio Lambert creative director Mike Cotton welcomed the intake as “a delight,” positioning the changes as a bid to refresh the long-running show.
• Viewer reaction on social media was sharply divided, with complaints about the number of new faces and reminders that Scottish duo Roisin Kelly and Joe Kyle had said in July they were not asked back.