Overview
- ITV paused production and evacuated the Ludus Magnus estate in Franschhoek due to nearby wildfires, postponing this week’s planned launch.
- Filming has resumed and host Maya Jama confirmed the U.K. premiere for Thursday, Jan. 15 at 9 p.m. on ITV2 and ITVX.
- The U.S. debut streams exclusively on Peacock on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 9/8c.
- ITV extended the season to six weeks and scheduled a full Saturday episode to recover content lost during the pause.
- Twelve returning alumni make up the opening cast, with international distribution split between ITV2/ITVX in the U.K. and Peacock in the U.S.; bookmakers have issued pre‑launch odds naming early favorites.