Return to Paradise, The Celebrity Traitors and Mary At 90: A Lifetime Of Cooking - TV highlights this week

Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel (Saturday 25/10/2025, BBC One, 8.20pm)

Words by Roger Crow

It’s hard to believe that it’s five years since Michael McIntrye’s fun game show made its debut on BBC One, and in that time it’s become one of the best-loved celebrity-filled challenges on the box.

For newcomers, the format is simple: three contestants emerge from a netherworld at the hub of said Wheel, where they are greeted by several famous, and not-so-famous faces around the radius.

Michael spins the device, and the stars help Jill and Joe Public win what could be a life-changing sum of cash.

The likes of Mel B, Susie Dent, Jason Donovan and Dermot O’Leary were among the stars in that first episode in November 2020, and at a time when the world locked down, it was a welcome relief from the horrors of the news.

Fans have had a long wait since the last series bowed out in December 2024, but the good news is Michael is back this week for a fresh run of questions.

More stars hope they have what it takes to turn contestants from wage slaves to comfortably well-off winners.

However, as series six kicks off, you might be expecting a blood bath, because that’s just the sort of thing players Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith delight in.

The League of Gentlemen veterans have become two of the most in-demand thesps of their generation, not least thanks to solid respective performances in projects such as Whitechapel, A Field in England, and their award-winning joint venture, Inside No 9.

That BBC comedy drama series, which ran for nine seasons, finally bowed out last year with some typically rug-pulling episodes.

However, when it came to subverting the good old game show, they pulled off a masterstroke in 2023 with an On the Buses-style episode dropped at the last minute, and apparently replaced with a game show pilot hosted by Lee Mack.

However, ‘3 by 3’ ended in dramatic fashion, and while some were wondering what was going on, fans applauded Pemberton and Shearsmith’s audacity.

While the TV show may have ended, the stage version of Inside No 9 went down a storm in London, and is repeating that success on a UK tour.

Their show Stage Fright is playing in Woking, Hull, Oxford, Stoke, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Birmingham over the coming weeks.

So, if things go to plan and this isn’t part of some elaborate Pemberton and Shearsmith stunt, it should be business as usual.

Joining Steve and Reece are Susan Wokoma (who some may remember from two episodes of Inside No 9); DJ and The One Show presenter Roman Kemp; Strictly veteran Layton Williams; Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan; I’m a Celebrity winner/former Lioness Jill Scott, and ex-rugby union star Joe Marler. The latter generated plenty of buzz recently on one of the TV highlights of the year, The Celebrity Traitors.

No stranger to this beloved game show, he’s already appeared in four episodes, so could even teach the host a thing or two about how it’s played.

So, feel free to sing along with the rest of the celebrities as ‘The Wheeel’ returns to dominate Saturday nights once more.

Trigger Point (Sunday 26/10/2025, ITV1, 9pm)

Words by Rachel Howard

A drama series focused on bomb disposal officers would appear to have only two possible outcomes: threat comes in, race to find the bomb, then either defuse the device and save the day, or fail and disaster strikes.

In different hands, Trigger Point might have struggled to secure a second run.

Thankfully, executive producer Jed Mercurio (Line of Duty) returns to light the fuse on the third series and things are certainly not slowing down in terms of explosive plots and character development.

Vicky McClure is back at the helm as Expo Lana Washington and it’s immediately clear that she’s struggling in the wake of her recent traumas, not to mention the pressure of the job.

Dealing with PTSD and tinnitus, Lana is finding herself increasingly isolated, with her job providing the only real sense of purpose and structure.

“I think work is where she can actually escape the reality that’s she quite lonely, and she’s struggling,” McClure says.

“But her trauma definitely creeps into her work without a doubt.”

As both an actor and executive producer on the show, Vicky is quick to praise the efforts of the team of writers in developing the characters, making the show so much more than a vehicle for terrifying stunts and special effects.

“The writers have been brilliant in letting us mix it up a bit, and finding more character detail, which has been paramount to making Trigger Point the sort of show people love,” she elaborates.

This series follows Lana as she balances her ongoing struggles with working for new boss, DCI Batra (Maanuv Thiara), and the arrival of a new threat, which soon reveals itself to be the start of a sinister vendetta, pushing Lana and the team to breaking point.

Also returning for series three are Nabil Elouahabi as Hass and Eric Shango as Danny. As Lana’s right-hand man, Hass harbours concerns for her wellbeing.

He tries to be her voice of reason when the intensity of life and the job appear to be getting too much.

“Hass has evolved into an older uncle figure, he’s kind of the wise guy now and there are some lovely interactions between Hass and Wash (Lana),” Elouahabi explains.

Danny, meanwhile, is starting series three as a newly married man. His focus has shifted from his own safety in the job to how it could potentially impact his family.

He too has concerns about Lana’s ability to focus, and in contrast to previous series, we see moments of friction between the colleagues.

On the relationship between Danny and Lana, Shango says, “Watching this conflict arise from Danny, who was always the most agreeable, subordinate person towards Lana, makes for a nice shift and I’m excited to see it play out.”

Joining the cast for the new run is Jason Flemyng who made a name for himself in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.

In a formidable career including 160 movies, he has seldom played a good guy – will his time on Trigger Point buck the trend?

Episode two follows at the same time on Monday.

Once Upon a Time in Space (Monday 27/10/25, BBC Two, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

Last week, thanks to ITV1’s Star Trek prequel Strange New Worlds, we boldly went where no man (or woman) has gone before.

It was, of course, just a bit of fun and all fictional; if you want to see something a little more grounded and certainly factual, then the BBC has a new four-part documentary series that should be right in your stratosphere.

Director James Bluemel is the man behind the multi-award-winning Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland and Once Upon a Time in Iraq. Now he’s turning his attention to space exploration, using little-seen archive footage and first-hand testimony to chart the human story of our journeys into the unknown.

Bluemel himself says: “It’s been great to work with the BBC on both Once Upon a Time in Iraq and Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland, and I’m really excited to be starting this new one.

“It will be interesting creatively to take the Once Upon a Time approach and focus it on a subject like space, to move the strand on in an unexpected and refreshing way.”

Bluemel takes viewers back to the height of the space race, something that could be said to have come to an end on December 14, 1972, when Eugene Cernan became the 11th person to walk on the Moon. On leaving the lunar surface, he stated, “We shall return,” which turned out to be the last words spoken on the Earth’s natural satellite.

That may be about to change, however. It was announced in September that there were plans to land there again, with the mission’s leader, Commander Reid Wiseman, stating, “We’re going to the Moon… it’s going to be amazing!” and that he and his crew would “see things that no human has ever seen.”

Mission specialist Christina Koch added: “Our geologists are beyond excited for our eyes to look at the Moon, and we’ve been training how to turn those observations into answering some of the biggest questions of our time, questions like ‘Are we alone?’ We can answer that by going to Mars in the future, and this mission can be the first step in bringing that answer back to Team Humanity.”

Bluemel will no doubt take a look at Nasa’s intentions, as well as those of China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia and Japan, who have all invested heavily in lunar exploration – something that is perhaps the birth of an all-new space race.

Whatever the case, viewers should learn heaps of scientific fact rather than fiction from in-depth interviews with pioneering astronauts, visionary scientists, engineers, astro-theorists, maverick billionaires and romantic dreamers.

“In his Once Upon a Time series of documentaries, film-maker James Bluemel has been clear eyed and fearless in his choices,” says Clare Sillery, BBC Head of Commissioning, Documentaries. “His distinctive approach has brought a new understanding to the most challenging and complex subjects.

“I’m delighted to support his creative ambition as he and his brilliant team turn their attention to space exploration. I’m excited to see what surprising new perspectives they will unlock and what the series might reveal about us and our modern world.”

Mary At 90: A Lifetime Of Cooking (Tuesday 28/10/2025, BBC2, 7.30pm, BBC2 Wales, 8pm)

Words by Rachel Howard

What are the star ingredients of Dame Mary Berry? Cooking legend, beloved TV presenter, style icon (who could forget those infamous bomber jackets?).

It’s almost impossible to believe that she turned 90 this year and she shows no signs of slowing down.

Quite the contrary, with the launch of this brand new six-part series, Mary takes a nostalgic look back on her life while cooking up a storm with friends old and new.

She started her career in the 1960s as the cookery editor of Housewife magazine and by 1970, she had released her first book, The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook, closely followed by her first television series, Afternoon Plus, with Judith Chalmers.

Mary’s career went from strength to strength with her six-year stint as a judge on The Great British Bake Off alongside Paul Hollywood, which led to her presenting numerous TV series, publishing more than 75 cookery books and even cooking alongside members of the royal family.

As she marks her milestone birthday, there’s no better time for her to reflect on the past and revisit some of her most iconic recipes.

Mary says, “I can’t quite believe I’ve been cooking for 60 years. Looking back through the archives and my career, the time has just flown by. I’ve loved every minute of it.”

Helping Mary celebrate, and learning a few tips along the way, will be special guests including gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh, sports broadcaster Gabby Logan, chef Jamie Oliver, actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe and One Show presenter Alex Jones.

In tonight’s first episode, Mary meets up with comedian Tom Allen to trace her passion for outdoor cooking back to her heady days as a Girl Guide.

To embrace Mary’s love of the countryside, the pair enjoy a leisurely boat ride and Tom attempts to navigate a lock as captain of the boat.

It is the perfect setting to whip up Mary’s classic pan-fried cod that she learned to make at college.

Her mother’s recipe for bread-and-butter pudding is a delicious memory of childhood and the hostess unveils her new Thai chicken traybake, which reinvents her 1970s cottage pie with a modern spin on mashed potato.

It’s a hearty and warming meal to come home to after a long day of messing about on the river.

Spending time with Tom also gives Mary an opportunity to reflect on rarely seen clips from the TV archive of her early attempts at al fresco cooking. Amusingly, there are some recipes that are still ship shape 70 years later.

The show’s secret sauce is, of course, Mary, who is firmly in her comfort zone preparing a few of her most loved dishes.

“I’ve included some of my all-time favourite recipes – some with a new twist and exciting new ones too, which I hope will inspire people to enjoy cooking at home,” she enthuses.

The six episodes promise to highlight the very best of what has been, and continues to be, a showstopper of a life and career.

The Celebrity Traitors (Wednesday 29/10/25, BBC1, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

If you’re a Traitors fan who initially had mixed feelings about the idea of celebrity version, you’re not alone.

Even host Claudia Winkleman admits she was worried it could be too much of a good thing. When asked about her reaction when the idea was proposed, she says: “I was scared. Only because I’m in love with this show and I wanted to keep it small. Once a year or maybe once every two years felt like enough. My bosses thank goodness ignored everything I said.”

The show’s viewers were also quickly converted – and a lot of that had to do with one contestant in particular. In the first episode, comedian Alan Carr was chosen to be one of the Traitors (whose aim is to ‘murder’ the Faithful), which turned out to be a masterstroke.

As Alan himself admitted before the series began, he perhaps wasn’t the most natural fit to be sneaking around the Castle, trying to discreetly plot a murder.

He said: “Well people have asked, would you like to be a Traitor? And the answer is, I don’t know. I’m fascinated to know how I would cope with it if I was. I’m not known for my poker face, but you’ve just got to adapt. I’m indecisive, and that’s the problem.”

His obvious panic and inability to keep his voice down when talking to his fellow Traitors were highlights of the opening instalment, but at least Claudia understands how hard it can be to stay in character when it comes to this show.

While she describes her presenting style on The Traitors as “Cruella de Vil with a touch of Miss Trunchbull”, she admits that was even harder than usual not to crack.

She says: “The biggest challenge was being ‘strict’. All I wanted to do was chat and be friendly but my role is aloof and grumpy. I found it hard not to just sit down with them and have a cup of tea. My family and I are obsessed with Joe Wilkinson, I had to stop myself getting his autograph for my son.”

Not that she’s playing favourites – she loves all of the celebs. Claudia says: “I could barely breathe when I saw them all in the Highlands. I’m such a fan of every single one of them. The whole team were just in awe, it was hard not to scream ‘you’re here!”

“When I talked to Stephen Fry I almost welled up, I told him “this was my dream”. We’re incredibly lucky to have the cast that we have. Each one of them is tremendous.”

But now we’ve reached the seventh episode is Claudia over being starstruck? And are the remaining celebrities taking it all more seriously now that they know the final – and the chance of claiming the jackpot for their chosen charity – are in sight?

We’re about to find out as we return to the castle to see who faces being murdered or banished from the castle.

Inside the Tower of London (Thursday 30/10/2025, 5, 8pm)

Words by Richard Jones

It has been home to kings, traitors, bureaucrats and exotic animals, and has stood constant as part of London’s skyline throughout the plague, the Great Fire and the bombs of the Blitz.

Or as the intro to this much-loved series puts it: “The Tower of London – for almost a thousand years, it’s been a castle, a famous prison, and a royal palace.”

Although there have already been seven seasons of 5’s Inside the Tower of London, there is clearly plenty more to discover about the iconic landmark, as the programme is returning with a brand-new run.

It’s June 2024, and the nation is preparing to mark a landmark anniversary.

It’s 80 years since the D-Day landings of 1944, a pivotal moment that helped change the course of the Second World War.

At the heart of the commemorations, Tower Deputy Governor Debbie Whittingham is leading the organisation of a major remembrance service on Chapel Green – a national moment of reflection timed to coincide with royal events in Normandy, where the King and Queen are paying tribute.

With enormous pressure to ensure the service is both poignant and historic, Debbie has a special idea – a lone bagpiper will perform the haunting lament that echoed across the beaches on D-Day.

For the Tower’s own veteran community, the occasion is deeply personal, and Yeoman Warder Paul Cunliffe shares the story of his father’s service during the landings.

As King Charles delivers his speech over in Normandy, the piper begins the Tower’s own moving service, watched by a large crowd gathered to honour the sacrifices of 1944.

As well as those commemorations, the new series also continues its exploration of the Tower’s extraordinary history.

Chief Historian Tracy Borman turns her attention to one of the fortress’s most famous former prisoners, adventurer and courtier, Sir Walter Raleigh.

Despite his exploits across the globe and favour with Queen Elizabeth I, Raleigh spent 13 years locked in the Bloody Tower under her successor King James I.

During his long imprisonment, he developed a medicinal garden outside his cell to help with his poor mental health and also wrote his History of the World.

Tracy delves into the mystery surrounding his grisly end in 1618 and the fate of his severed head. Legend has it that the embalmed body part was carried by his grieving widow Lady Raleigh in a red bag until her own death.

As the Tower community looks back on national history, it also faces change of its own.

After seven years of service, Debbie, who spent three decades in the Royal Navy before taking on the historic role as the Tower’s first female Deputy Governor, is preparing to retire.

Her final official duty is to oversee the annual Constable’s Reception, a spectacular evening of military music and ceremony in which a ship’s captain presents a symbolic barrel of wine, rum or port to the Constable of the Tower.

Surrounded by Yeoman Warders, colleagues and friends, Debbie bids a tearful farewell.

We have learned over the years that the walls of the Tower contain endless stories, and although Debbie’s own send-off is emotional, it is merely the end of one chapter – and the beginning of another.

Return to Paradise (Friday 31/10/25, BBC1, 8pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

The sun-kissed crime drama Death in Paradise is one of the BBC’s biggest hits. Not only has it consistently proved that it’s bigger than any of its leading men, but it’s also spawned two successful spin-offs. The first was Beyond Paradise, which follows DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) after he swaps the Caribbean for Devon – and other is Return to Paradise, which is back for a second series tonight.

If you missed the first run, it stars Anna Samson as DI Mackenzie Clarke, who had been working in London (alongside a certain DI Jack Mooney, played by Ardal O’Hanlon) but now finds herself back in her Australian hometown of Dolphin Cove.

Given its pedigree, it might have seemed like a surefire hit, but Anna admits she’s been overwhelmed by the positive response to the series, not just from existing fans but from new viewers. She says: “The show comes with an incredibly loyal and enthusiastic fanbase already, as it is part of a franchise. We felt a responsibility to do justice to the show and to honour the audience. The biggest surprise for me, and maybe it shouldn’t have even been that surprising, but how many of the fans are young women – I was so moved by that.”

She adds: “Seeing the impact of a character like Mackenzie, who isn’t always smiling or worried about being liked, yet remains at the centre of the story, is what made putting on the waistcoat every day feel so valuable. We had a little girl on set as a background artist playing a young swimmer in this series, and she said, ‘Oh, you can be bossy and nice.’ And I said, ‘Yes, you can!’”

Her character will be taking charge of more cases this series – with a little help from Det SC Colin Cartwright (Lloyd Griffith).

However, there are also matters of the heart to attend to, as the last run ended with Mackenzie’s former fiancé Glenn (Tai Hara) admitting he still had feelings for her, even though he’s due to marry his girlfriend Daisy (Andrea Demetriades).

Anna believes Return to Paradise does a great job of combing mysteries with character development. When asked what to expect from the second series, she laughs: “You can expect murders, and for Mackenzie and her team to solve them!

“We’re expanding the emotional world of all the characters in series two. Who they are and why they are the way they are. Colin and Mackenzie’s friendship becomes ridiculously joyful. They act like best friends while having no idea that they feel that way, which is really fun to play.

“That love triangle between Glenn, Mackenzie and Daisy also gets even more complicated, giving us a peek into her vulnerable side. We really challenge the emotional wall she puts up in this series.”

In the opening episode, a scientist who was researching sharks is found dead on a boat. However, Mack believes that it wasn’t an ocean predator that caused the expert’s demise, but rather a cold-blooded murderer.