TV highlights: Yorkshire stars in The Fortune and Emma Barnett puts focus on endometriosis

Britain’s Got Talent: Live Final (Saturday 30/05/2026, ITV1, 7pm)

Richard Jones

Has Britain’s Got Talent lost some of its magic?

Simon Cowell’s show has been essential spring viewing for families ever since its debut on ITV1 in 2007, and two years ago, it was still the biggest entertainment series of the year, across any channel.

However, when BGT’s 19th season launched back in February, the show reportedly earned the lowest ratings in its history, and a result, there have been whispers that it could be nearing the axe.

Nevertheless, Cowell still seemed optimistic about BGT’s relevance and future ahead of this current run.

“I would say funny, surprising and actually, in a really cool way, very, very patriotic,” he told the Press Association when asked to describe the series.

“It makes you think: actually, there are always these undiscovered people out there who are so brilliant and they’ve just got so much talent. That’s what I love.

“When you’re there and you just see the amount of time and effort that goes into some of the acts, it’s so cool.

“And I get a real buzz out of seeing stuff like that. It does the job. It’s fun to watch, but it’s also inspiring.”

After weeks of auditions and five semi-finals, the latest edition of the national talent search comes to a close this evening, as Ant and Dec welcome the remaining acts to perform one last time.

Their aim is to win a prestigious slot at this year’s Royal Variety Performance and get their hands on the whopping £250,000 cash prize.

All they have to do is impress the voting public, as the opinions of Cowell and his fellow judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI count for nothing.

Who wins on the night is entirely down to the viewers at home.

Among the favourites to be named this year’s BGT champion is poet Sonny Green, who was given a semi-final golden buzzer by Cowell, who said he was “gold”.

He could face a challenge tonight from singer Matty Juniosa, who was the first act through to the final having also been awarded a golden buzzer, this time from Holden.

Meanwhile, comedian Ted Hill was Ant and Dec’s golden buzzer act, and left the audience and judges in hysterics with his PowerPoint performance.

Providing they have made it through their semi-final, Lucciano & Frankie, the grandson-grandfather singing duo from Bristol, may also be in with a chance, as could the Hawkstone Farmers Choir, who performed an emotional rendition of Elbow’s One Day Like This to nab Holden’s golden buzzer in the earlier audition shows.

Twelve months ago, magician Harry Moulding wowed the judges and the public with his mind-blowing tricks to take the crown.

Two other illusionists, Rafferty Coope from Winchester in Hampshire, and Austrian Fabian Fox, are among the leading contenders to succeed him this time around.

If that’s anything to go by, Britain’s Got Talent’s ‘magic’ appears to be as strong as ever.

Tip Toe (Sunday 31/05/26, Channel 4, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

When it comes to great drama, Channel 4 is leading the way at the moment.

In the last few weeks alone we’ve had A Woman of Substance, based on a Barbara Taylor Bradford bestseller, and Jack Thorne’s latest, Falling. What’s more, we can also look forward to Steven Moffat’s eagerly awaited next project, political tale Number 10, later in the year too.

“Our commitment at Channel 4 is to make shows which offer a tangible point of difference, shine a light on British society in a thought provoking and fresh way, and yet are uncompromising in their ambition to entertain,” says Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama.

While we await Moffat’s possible magnum opus, we can content ourselves with Tip Toe, which has been written by another Doctor Who alumnus – Russell T Davies.

The long-running science fiction show is, of course, very much a product of the BBC, but Davies has regularly been employed by other broadcasters during his 40-year TV career, but two of his biggest hits – Queer as Folk and It’s a Sin – have been for Channel 4.

Tip Toe has found a home there too, and what’s more, it’s set partly in Manchester’s gay village, aka Canal Street, as was Queer as Folk, and is made by the same team.

“It’s my honour to combine my old home, Channel 4, with my second home, Canal Street,” says Davies. “This is a show I had to write because the world is getting stranger, tougher and darker, and frankly, the fight is on.”

Alan Cumming and David Morrissey take the lead roles of Leo and Clive respectively. Leo runs a gay bar on Canal Street, while Clive is an electrician with two teenage sons. The duo have lived next door to each other in an ordinary suburb for 15 years, and all is harmonious – until Leo gives Clive a spare key. It’s a simple act that sparks a terrible feud.

Suddenly tensions begin to mount, words become weapons and opinions are radicalised. Channel 4 describes the programme as a “tense suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider safe,” while also claiming it explores the “most corrosive forces” facing the LGBTQ+ community today, and “examining the danger as prejudice creeps back into our lives”.

That makes it sound very heavy indeed, but we’re assured there are plenty of laughs too, thanks to Davies’ hallmark humour. Morrissey, for one, is simply pleased to catch up with old mates: “I’m delighted to be working with Russell, and also with Alan who has been a great friend for over 40 years, but we’ve never had the chance to work together. It’s a privilege to be with them both on this astonishing piece.”

Paul Rhys, Pooky Quesnel, Charlie Condou and Elizabeth Berrington also appear in a drama that’s sure to raise temperatures as the summer progresses – it may even make some of us pause and think again about our views, a matter that would make Davies very proud indeed.

Emma Barnett: Fighting Endometriosis (Monday 01/06/26, BBC Two, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

In her most famous novel, Harper Lee famously wrote: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

Many women have probably wished that someone would do that, just so they could grasp the amount of pain – often excruciating – and discomfort they have been in for years, perhaps even decades, before gaining an endometriosis diagnosis.

Until that day arrives – if it ever does – they’re often left frustrated by a lack of understanding, sympathetic but hopeless smiles and well-meaning if unhelpful advice.

The condition is suffered by roughly 10 per cent of those assigned female at birth and involves tissue similar to that lining the womb growing elsewhere, including on the ovaries and pelvis, causing lesions, scarring and bleeding. It usually flares up around the menstrual period and although there is presently no cure, symptoms are often managed with painkillers and hormones.

In the most extreme cases, surgery is required, with full hysterectomies sometimes performed, as well as the removal of other organs impacted.

Despite the fact it is as common as diabetes, the funding level for research into endometriosis is far lower, and Emma Barnett wants to know why, particularly as nobody is exactly sure what causes it.

She has personal reasons for asking questions – she spent decades suffering before finally receiving a diagnosis at the age of 31. Sadly, her case isn’t a rare one – many women go through the same difficulty, forcing them to deal with their pain alone.

In an interview with Mumsnet a few years ago, Barnett stated: “We need to treat endometriosis like an emergency. It is not a quiet disease. It is destroying women from the inside out. It is a global emergency.”

Barnett’s voice will be familiar to many listeners of Radio 4 thanks to her presenting duties on Women’s Hour and Today, and she’s thrilled that the BBC is now backing a programme so close to her heart, the first full-length documentary it has tackled on the subject.

“Making this film has been one of the most important personal and professional projects of my life,” she explains.

“It’s staggering to me that more than 1.5 million women in Britain are trying to live their lives as best as they can while endometriosis, a condition that has flummoxed doctors and researchers the world over, wreaks total havoc. It took me 20 years to be diagnosed with it aged 31 – the average diagnosis time is now nine years and going up.”

Barnett is seen speaking to women at treatment centres across the UK about their experiences while also discussing the situation with the doctors offering a modicum of hope.

She concludes: “I hope this film inspires a generation of researchers to finally unlock the mystery that is endometriosis and helps women and their families proudly see themselves and all they achieve despite this cruel disease. Simply living with it is unbelievably difficult.”

And if it improves understanding while changing at least one life, it will certainly have been worthwhile.

The Fortune (Tuesday 02/06/26, Channel 5, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

For some people, discovering you’ve been left a huge inheritance by a stranger would be a dream come true – you’d have an unexpected windfall without the grief of losing a loved one. However, in the new 5 drama The Fortune, it threatens to turn into a nightmare.

Former Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson plays Amanda, who works at a restaurant alongside her chef husband Jimmy (Matthew Lewis), with whom she shares a young son, Luke (James Younger). Her life is then turned upside down when a lawyer approaches her saying that she’s been left a significant inheritance, including a country house, by a man named Martin Worrall (Denis Lawson).

Amanda is convinced it must be either a hoax or a mistake as she’s never even heard of Martin, but when she finds proof that he had visited the restaurant, she begins to wonder if they could be connected. Her mother Linda (Paula Wilcox) has dementia and can’t provide any answers, while Jimmy can’t understand why Amanda isn’t just happy to accept the cash and property, no questions asked.

Actress Eleanor says that the fact her character isn’t even sure if she wants the money is one of the things that drew her to The Fortune. She says: “What I really like about Amanda is that she’s happy in her life. Yes, in a dream world everyone would like more money or there’s something that people would change, but ultimately, Amanda and Jimmy are in a loving relationship and they’ve got their little boy.

“So ,when this event happens – a death and a visit from a lawyer – she takes a step back and thinks ‘hang on a minute, this doesn’t seem right’. To me, that was a refreshing take on what we’ve seen before – someone wins the lottery and what are they going to do with all the money?”

Eleanor admits thought that she’d be unlikely to turn it down herself: “I wouldn’t say no. I’d try and do some good with it – maybe open an animal sanctuary. Maybe build a wine cellar! Who knows!”

However, Amanda needs to know why Martin made her his beneficiary, and heads to his home, Brackburn House, to learn more. There she encounters Martin’s wife Fiona (Rebecca Front) and son Anthony (Callum Woodhouse), who are convinced Amanda manipulated her way into the will and insist she renounces the inheritance. They also have some questions regarding Martin’s death…

Eleanor says: “[Amanda] thinks they are quite scary and bizarre people. When she first meets Anthony, he’s carrying a shotgun! Amanda is very much aware how painful the situation is for them. They are fuming about it, which I get.”

Luckily, for Eleanor the meeting was more of a happy reunion: “Working with Rebecca Front and Callum Woodhouse was amazing. It’s the third time I’ve worked with Rebecca. We were in Death Comes to Pemberley together and she also did some of Poldark. It was wonderful to see her again.”

But as it becomes clear that Fiona and Anthony are serious about protecting the estate, will Amanda wish that she’d just renounced the money from the start?

Falling (Wednesday 03/06/26, Channel 4, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

The course of true love never did run smooth, even when there are no obvious obstacles in the way of your happily ever after. So, it’s no wonder that the relationship between nun Anna (Keeley Hawes) and priest David (Paapa Essiedu) in the drama Falling has been complicated – for them, being together means upending their lives and making such huge sacrifices.

That’s one of the things that drew Paapa to the series, which concludes tonight, as well as the chance to be work with Jack Thorne, the acclaimed writer behind series including Adolescence and the recent adaptation of Lord of the Flies.

Paapa says: “I worked with Jack Thorne on a Channel 4 show called Kiri, and I’ve watched his career go stratospheric in the interim. When Jack gets in contact with you, it’s a privilege. He writes such well-rounded, multidimensional characters in very real situations.

The actor adds: “There’s something elevated about the world and ritual of the church, but a lot of the drama comes from domestic moments and real, grounded relationships between, for me, David and members of his family or congregation, as well as between David and Anna. He’s got a real skill for eking the sublime out of the everyday.”

If you’ve been watching Falling up until now, you’ll know that while Anna realised pretty quickly what she wanted and was willing to turn her life upside down for it, David has been more cautious, which Paapa can understand.

He says: “This is very common in love, where it can be terrifying to be confronted by the thing you want and to really come to terms with the sacrifices that often have to be made to get it. The idea that you will sacrifice everything at any time for love doesn’t always translate to everyday life.

“David has responsibilities and has made decisions all through his life that have led him to this point. It’s not easy to say, ‘Okay, now I’m going to renege on those decisions.’

“Eventually, he is put in a position where he has to make the choice to either let her and this idea of a future with her go, or to remain not fully satisfied.”

In tonight’s final episode, Susan (Sophie Stone) is getting married, which gives David the perfect opportunity to reflect on what it really means to let love into your life. Meanwhile, Anna is ready for a fresh start, and finds support from an unlikely source. So, it seems they are both ready to make some big changes, but will they decide to make them together?

Whatever David does, Paapa is pleased that he got to work alongside Keeley. He says: “She’s one of the best this country has, and her CV speaks for itself. It was fascinating to watch her work. Our characters share a magnetism but so many obstacles, which can really provide fuel for the scenes. There was a lot for us to chew on and her performance is brilliant.”

George Clarke’s Beautiful Builds (Thursday 04/06/26, Channel 4, 8pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

As the host of Amazing Spaces (not to mention Ugly House to Lovely House, Building Home and Remarkable Renovations among others), architect George Clarke knows how important it is that our homes meet our needs.

However, if your house is getting you down due to an impractical layout or lack of space, but moving isn’t an option, then knowing how to change it for the better can be daunting. Luckily, that’s where George Clarke’s Beautiful Builds comes in.

As George said back when the first series of Beautiful Builds was announced: “This is a show that will inspire and help viewers to see the space they have in their homes differently.

“I know that the decisions involved in refurbishing them can be overwhelming so I’m excited to lend my expertise to help our renovators, and the viewers at home, to make the most of their spaces and create environments they’ll love for years to come.”

This week, he takes on an especially emotional project as he comes to aid of widow Shaz and her two children, who live in the leafy north east London suburb of Woodford Green.

Their classic Victorian terrace is especially dear to them as they once shared it with devoted husband and dad David, who was Shaz’s childhood sweetheart, and they are determined to stay there.

Sadly, they are increasingly finding that the property doesn’t really function the way they want it to.

So, George draws on all his architectural skills to work out what needs to change to make the house meet the family’s needs and ensure it can be their home for years to come, while still preserving their treasured memories of David.

What advice would George give to someone who is inspired by this series to make some major changes to their own home? He told Source magazine: “Obviously I’m going to say, get a good architect, that’s a predictable answer. What is a good architect? Someone who understands the brief and gives the client what they want – gives them more than they expected.

“Also, make as many design decisions as you can before you start. A lot of people think they can decide on details later… but the more that decision is included into the drawings and the spec… the less stressful your build will be.”

George’s own expertise will soon be put to the test again, as Channel 4 recently announced he will be hosting the upcoming Two Houses, One Home, which will feature two separate households who have decided they want to live under one roof.

Cynics may wonder if George will have to act as a referee as well as an architect, but he’s looking forward to the challenge. He says: “At its heart, any successful home allows us to be together with those who matter to us, giving the space to share our lives, from the special events to the everyday moments.

“Seeing people giving their all to move in together and make this kind of space for themselves promises to be a heartwarming experience. It will be a joy to accompany them on their journey.”

MasterChef (Friday 05/06/2026, BBC One, 8pm)

Words by Richard Jones

When inimitable restaurant critic Grace Dent and renowned chef Anna Haugh were named as the new MasterChef hosts, there was little doubt that the beloved cookery show was in good hands.

The pair, who had both had previous stints as judges on the celebrity and professional variants, succeeded Gregg Wallace and John Torode after their high-profile exits.

So how did Dent and Haugh feel about ‘picking up’ the show after their predecessors’ departures?

“Well, it’s bigger than any one person,” Haugh said in an interview with Radio Times. “And the contestants are brilliant. The show is a reflection of them.”

Carlisle-raised journalist and broadcaster Dent, meanwhile, says she didn’t think there was any pressure of her succeeding Wallace and Torode. “I don’t feel I am ‘picking up’ after anybody,” she insists.

“I’ve been going to work every day at the helm of the most important food show, probably in British television history. I think I’m doing well.”

“I like spotting that glimmer of raw talent, it really excites me.

“Each time we throw something at them, they get a bit better, and that’s what I’m looking for.”

One aspect that has gone down particularly well with viewers is the warm camaraderie between the new hosts, who, despite their contrasting styles, are clearly good mates.

“We take care of each other,” says Dubliner Haugh, who is chef and owner of Myrtle, an upmarket Irish/Modern British restaurant in London’s Chelsea.

“So, if there’s a hair out of place, or lipstick needs topping up, we’ll point it out. We want each other to be lifted up.”

Seven and a half weeks ago, 48 talented cooks began their bids for culinary stardom, ready to be put through their paces by Grace, Anna and their guest judges.

During this week, we’ve already seen the finalists head to Nelson’s Dockyard in the Caribbean paradise of Antigua and Barbuda to prepare a BBQ feast of traditional dishes, before working as private chefs at the exclusive Jumby Bay Island Resort.

Back in the UK, they then took on a task which would cause even professional chefs to quake in their aprons – the Chef’s Table, as they tried to impress Michelin-starred chefs Daniel Clifford, Nieves Barragan and Paul Ainsworth.

Now, it’s the final, and only one of the three remaining exceptional cooks can take home the trophy and have their life changed forever.

To prove they are worthy, Dent and Haugh want the trio to prepare their best three courses possible in three hours.

The plates will need to be technically perfect in terms of flavour profiles and execution and crucially, they must show progression beyond anything served to date.

Dent and Haugh then have the enviable task of sampling all nine dishes, and will then choose which cook is worthy of taking the coveted title.

The cooks’ journey has been a long and arduous one, and Dent clearly has a lot of respect for those who have made it through to tonight’s final.

“To anyone who can get through those first few rounds, I think, wow,” she says.