Everything you need to know about Gary Lineker’s new ‘shocking’ game show The Box

The Box is ITV’s brand new “shocking” game show hosted by Gary Lineker, and viewers don’t have long to wait for its arrival.

Former Match of the Day presenter Gary oversees the action as 10 celebrities are dropped into mystery locations inside big yellow boxes. They must then work out a series of challenges with very little instruction.

ITV bosses have promised “shocking reveals and twists”, and the format certainly looks like something a little different.

Here’s everything we know about The Box, including its celebrity contestants, how The Box works and its start date.

And if you’re curious about what the show has in store, scroll down for a first look.

What is ITV’s The Box?

The Box is a brand-new game show landing on ITV. Ten celebrities are dropped into big, bright yellow boxes and transported to unknown locations around the UK.

Once they arrive, the stars have to take on a series of challenges. These can be physical, logical, funny… or all of the above. The stars are given little guidance to figure out what is expected of them and stay in the game.

Every episode ends with The Duel, a high stakes showdown between the final two contestants standing. The loser leaves the competition, while the winner carries on with the chance to become the ultimate champion.

The show has been adapted for UK audiences from the popular Norwegian TV show, Boksen.

Who is hosting The Box?

Gary Lineker will be front and centre as the ITV gameshow’s host. The ex-England and Barcelona striker is a veteran broadcaster. He fronted Match of the Day for 26 years before leaving the BBC in May 2025.

Gary also previously fronted ITV’s general knowledge quiz show, Sitting on a Fortune, between 2021 and 2023. He is also the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts, which is the UK’s largest independent podcast company. The team at Goalhanger Podcasts are responsible for The Rest Is History, hosted by Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook.

Gary says he is excited to watch the action unfold. He shared: “I’ve always felt right at home in the box on a football pitch, and whilst this is a different proposition, the fundamentals are similar.

“The contestants will have to quickly and masterfully work out how each game works, whilst also trying to get ahead of the competition to take control. It’s going to be unpredictable and thrilling to watch, and I’m excited that I get to have a front row seat to all the action!”

ITV’s Katie Rawcliffe describes Gary as the “perfect fit” for the show. She calls The Box an “entertaining, exhilarating and immersive new format”.

The Box: Who are the celebrities taking part

ITV has assembled an eclectic line-up of 10 celebrity figures for The Box from the worlds of entertainment, sport, music, and politics.

Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies is taking part. At 35, the businesswoman and entrepreneur became the youngest-ever Dragon when she joined the show in 2019. Former footballer Graeme Souness will also be on The Box. Now a pundit, he played for Liverpool, Spurs and Middlesbrough during his career.

Comedian Ellie Taylor, known for Strictly Come Dancing, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Ted Lasso, is bringing a few laughs. Former Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, is also on the show. He left Parliament in 2019 and has embarked on a career in media.

Love Island’s Shakira Khan is in the line-up. She made it to the final of the dating show in 2025. JLS star JB Gill will also be on the show. These days, the singer and former Strictly Come Dancing contestant works as a turkey farmer and has appeared on BBC’s Countryfile.

The Box: Ranvir Singh and Jenny Ryan

Broadcaster Ranvir Singh will be trying her luck on The Box. Ranvir presents on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and Lorraine. She also fronts her own ITV game show, Riddiculous.

Another contestant who is a dab hand at a quiz is Jenny Ryan. Jenny’s also known as ‘The Vixen’ on ITV’s The Chase. Joey Essex, who found fame in The Only Way Is Essex, is also taking part.

YouTuber and gamer Danny Aarons rounds off the cast. Danny is one of the world’s leading content creators for EA Sports FC.

Host Gary has spoken highly of the cast. He says: “From my experience, the most successful teams are built on a mix of strengths and abilities. That’s exactly what we’ve got with this line-up.”

What Gary Lineker has said about The Box

Gary has opened up about The Box ahead of its launch and admits he had a great time filming the series. He says he struggled to keep a straight face at times as the celebrities tackled some tough challenges.

But he adds: “You make assumptions about how someone will cope based on what you know of them, and then The Box opens and you’re proved completely wrong.

“Some of the ones you’d expect to be fearless went to pieces, and some of the ones you’d never have put money on turned out to have nerves of steel. That’s the fun of it – I won’t say who, you’ll have to watch and judge for yourselves!”

When does The Box start?

There’s not long to wait now, with The Box making its primetime debut this weekend.

The first episode will start at 8.15pm on Saturday September 5, 2026. The series continues with episode two at 8pm on Sunday September 6.

The video below gives viewers a first look at the new show. It certainly looks like ITV could have something very entertaining on its hands.

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