Overview

• Five new groups joined on 5 September at 9pm: friends Jake, 27, and Calum, 31, from Glasgow; the Gordon family Andre, 49, Sarah, 47, and Chee, 25, from Surrey; married couple Andrew, 62, and Alfie, 32, from the Cotswolds; Sara, 87, with daughter‑in‑law Lara, 58, from Yorkshire; and sisters Rosie, 68, and Susie, 70, from Edinburgh.
• Long‑standing favourites returned alongside the newcomers, including Jenny and Lee, the Siddiquis, the Malones, Giles and Mary, Ellie and Izzi, David and Shirley, the Plummers, Amira and Amani, and the Worthingtons.
• Social media reaction during the premiere skewed critical, with many viewers saying five additions at once felt like "too many" and "overwhelming," though some urged giving the newcomers time to settle.
• Roisin Kelly and Joe Kyle confirmed earlier that they were not asked back for Series 26, making their absence a focal point for some fans’ comments on opening night.
• Early chatter also highlighted the show’s broadened age range, with 87‑year‑old Sara now the oldest participant, and noted surprise over married Cotswolds couple Andrew, 62, and Alfie, 32, whose age gap prompted confusion online.