Thursday's tv guide has a lot going on. MasterChef: The Professionals wraps up its series with a two-hour final on BBC One from 8pm. Two World Cup play-off semi-finals are live on BBC Two and BBC Three simultaneously. And The Bear is back on Sky Atlantic for anyone who's been waiting. The tv listings cover the full night -- or check the tonight page for a quick summary. Streaming and freeview tv guide catch-up options are at the bottom.
What's On TV Tonight: Quick Picks
- MasterChef: The Professionals ★ -- BBC One, 8pm -- SERIES FINAL; the 2026 winner gets announced tonight
- The Bear -- Sky Atlantic, 9pm -- NEW episodes; multiple back-to-back
- World Cup Play-Offs -- BBC Two & BBC Three, 7:45pm k/o -- Wales v Bosnia and Italy v Northern Ireland live
- A Woman of Substance -- Channel 4, 9pm -- NEW episode; Emma's retribution continues
- The Apprentice -- BBC One, after 10pm -- shopping channel carnage with Lord Sugar watching from a sofa
TV Guide: Early Evening (6pm – 8pm)
Richard Osman's House of Games -- BBC Two, 6pm
New episode. Four celebrities being humbled by rounds they were confident about when they walked in. The format doesn't really change but the guests vary enough to keep it fresh. Available on BBC iPlayer.
EastEnders -- BBC One, 7:30pm
Ronni Ancona was cast as Bea, Honey's old schoolfriend and new lodger, in a way that strongly suggested comic relief. A few months on and there's a creepier edge emerging. Tonight Bea orchestrates a plan to keep her place in Honey's life, while Cindy finds herself in hot water. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Stronger, Faster, Younger? Britain's Steroid Boom: Tonight -- ITV1, 7:30pm
Performance-enhancing drugs aren't just a sport problem anymore -- around a million people in the UK are estimated to be using them, many driven by the "looksmaxxing" and biohacking corners of social media. Reporter Antoine Allen meets British athletes actively starting doping regimes, and the film builds toward May's inaugural Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, where former Olympians will compete with full pharmaceutical help and no apologies. Worth half an hour. Available on ITVX.
World Cup Play-Off Semi-Final: Italy v Northern Ireland -- BBC Three, from 7:05pm
Kick-off is 7:45pm. Northern Ireland travel to Italy for the first of two play-off semi-finals with a place in a World Cup final play-off round at stake. Available on BBC iPlayer.
World Cup Play-Off Semi-Final: Wales v Bosnia-Herzegovina -- BBC Two, from 7:30pm
Kick-off is 7:45pm. Wales host Bosnia-Herzegovina at Cardiff City Stadium in what could be a defining night for Welsh football. Win tonight, and the next match -- against whoever comes through Italy v Northern Ireland -- becomes a genuine World Cup qualification decider. BBC Two carries the match for viewers outside Wales and Northern Ireland. S4C and BBC One Wales cover it for Welsh viewers. Available on BBC iPlayer.
TV Tonight: Prime Time (8pm onwards)
MasterChef: The Professionals -- BBC One, 8pm ★ (SERIES FINAL)
Two hours tonight. Three finalists, one challenge: cook a three-course meal that justifies every heat they've got through, while Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and Matt Tebbutt look for reasons to disagree.
This is Tebbutt's first and, he's said, only series in the judge's chair. He's been more measured than his predecessor, which has split opinion -- though his food knowledge is harder to argue with. The finalists have been good all series. The cloches, the slow-motion plating, the long pauses before the announcement: it's the same format it's always been. When the cooking earns it, that's enough. Available on BBC iPlayer.
A Woman of Substance -- Channel 4, 9pm
Episode six of eight. Emma prepares a family Christmas while her obsession with work and revenge keeps pulling the rug out from under everyone around her, including herself. By this point in the series you're watching two shows at once: the satisfaction of Emma getting one over on the Fairleys, and the slow dawning that she's paying for every victory somewhere else. Available on Channel 4 streaming.
The Apprentice -- BBC One, 9pm (or after MasterChef)
The shopping channel task has been a fixture of The Apprentice since somewhere around series three, and it now feels genuinely quaint -- a format designed around a TV phenomenon that most of the candidates have probably never watched. That's part of why it still works. The particular language of QVC presenting is almost impossible to acquire in 24 hours, which means everyone sounds wrong in a slightly different way.
Lord Sugar watching the live selling is a reliable source of the show's background comedy. The Apprentice: Unfinished Business follows on BBC Two at 10pm. Available on BBC iPlayer.
The Bear -- Sky Atlantic, 9pm (NEW EPISODES)
New episodes dropping tonight and running until after 11pm. If you've been following this series, you already know. If you haven't started: it's a kitchen drama set in a Chicago restaurant, and it's one of the few shows in recent years that has genuinely earned the word "intense" without it being marketing shorthand. Block out the time.
Yorkshire's Poshest Hotel: Grantley Hall -- Channel 5, 8pm (NEW SERIES)
New series. Valeria Sykes bought this run-down grade II listed country house in North Yorkshire in 2015 and spent several years transforming it into a five-star hotel, which opened in 2019. Her son Richard serves as managing director. The first episode goes behind the scenes as the team races to complete an ambitious transformation before a major launch event with critics and VIPs. Unchallenging but genuinely nice. Available on My5.
The Martin Lewis Money Show Live: Tax Year End Special -- ITV1, 9pm
With the tax year closing, Martin Lewis lays out what you can still do before the deadline and what changes are coming in the year ahead. If you have an ISA you haven't topped up, or pension contributions you've been meaning to think about, this is the hour to actually do it. Available on ITVX.
TV Guide UK: Late Night
The Sense of an Ending -- BBC Four, 9:30pm
A 2017 adaptation of Julian Barnes's Booker Prize-winning novel, shown as part of a BBC Four evening dedicated to Barnes -- who has announced his latest novel will be his last. Jim Broadbent plays Tony Webster, semi-retired owner of a photography shop, who receives an unexpected legacy and starts unpicking memories of a long-ago relationship. Broadbent does testy and self-deceiving better than most. Charlotte Rampling and Harriet Walter round out the cast, and director Ritesh Batra keeps the whole thing at a low, queasy simmer. Bookended by BBC Four features on Barnes, including a 2014 interview with Mark Lawson. Available on BBC iPlayer.
Question Time -- BBC One, 10:40pm
Fiona Bruce with a panel of politicians and commentators on the week's political stories. Available on BBC iPlayer.
24 Hours in A&E -- Channel 4, 10pm
The fly-on-the-wall A&E documentary continues for another hour. A reliable late-night watch for anyone not done with the television. Available on Channel 4 streaming.
Sport
Football: World Cup Play-Off Semi-Finals -- BBC Two (Wales v Bosnia-Herzegovina) and BBC Three (Italy v Northern Ireland), kick-off 7:45pm both matches. The winners meet in next week's final play-off. Wales are at home at Cardiff City Stadium. Both available on BBC iPlayer.
Tennis: Miami Open -- Sky Sports Tennis from 4:30pm, Sky Sports Main Event from 10pm. Women's semi-finals and men's quarter-finals in Florida.
Men's Cycling: Tour de Catalunya Stage 4 -- TNT Sports 1, from 2:15pm. Mataró to Vallter.
For the full sport schedule across all channels, see our sport listings.
Tonight's TV Listings: Full Schedule
Here are the complete TV listings for Thursday 26th March 2026 across all major Freeview, Sky and streaming channels.
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00pm | BBC Two | Richard Osman's House of Games (NEW) |
| 7:05pm | BBC Three | World Cup Play-Off: Italy v Northern Ireland (live, k/o 7:45pm) |
| 7:00pm | BBC Four | Fred Dibnah's Magnificent Monuments |
| 7:00pm | BBC One | The One Show |
| 7:30pm | BBC One | EastEnders |
| 7:30pm | BBC Two | World Cup Play-Off: Wales v Bosnia-Herzegovina (live, k/o 7:45pm) |
| 7:30pm | ITV1 | Stronger, Faster, Younger? Britain's Steroid Boom: Tonight |
| 7:30pm | E4 | Married at First Sight Australia (NEW) |
| 8:00pm | BBC One | MasterChef: The Professionals (SERIES FINAL) ★ |
| 8:00pm | Channel 5 | Yorkshire's Poshest Hotel: Grantley Hall (NEW SERIES) |
| 8:00pm | ITV1 | Emmerdale |
| 8:00pm | ITV2 | The 1% Club |
| 8:00pm | U&Yesterday | Bangers and Cash (NEW) |
| 8:00pm | National Geographic | Car SOS (NEW) |
| 8:00pm | BBC Four | Stonehenge: A Timewatch Guide |
| 8:30pm | ITV1 | Coronation Street |
| 9:00pm | BBC One | The Apprentice |
| 9:00pm | Channel 4 | A Woman of Substance (NEW) |
| 9:00pm | Channel 5 | The Hotel Inspector (NEW) |
| 9:00pm | ITV1 | The Martin Lewis Money Show Live: Tax Year End Special (NEW) |
| 9:00pm | ITV2 | Hell's Kitchen (NEW) |
| 9:00pm | Sky Atlantic | The Bear (NEW episodes) |
| 9:05pm | E4 | MAFS: After the Dinner (NEW) |
| 9:30pm | BBC Four | The Sense of an Ending (film, 2017) |
| 9:35pm | BBC Two | Match of the Day Wales |
| 10:00pm | BBC Two | The Apprentice: Unfinished Business |
| 10:00pm | Channel 4 | 24 Hours in A&E |
| 10:00pm | BBC Three | The Trials of Pa Salieu |
| 10:05pm | E4 | Gogglebox |
| 10:40pm | BBC One | Question Time |
| 10:45pm | ITV1 | WhatsApp Obsession |
| 9:00pm | U&Yesterday | Hunting Outback Gold (NEW) |
Freeview TV Guide: What's On Streaming
Can't watch live? The freeview tv guide below has catch-up sorted. Use our now and next guide to see what's on at this moment, or browse the channels list for every available station.
BBC iPlayer: MasterChef: The Professionals (series final), EastEnders, The Apprentice, The Apprentice: Unfinished Business, both World Cup play-off semi-finals, The Sense of an Ending, Question Time, Richard Osman's House of Games
ITVX: Coronation Street, Emmerdale, The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, Stronger Faster Younger? Britain's Steroid Boom: Tonight, Hell's Kitchen
Channel 4 streaming: A Woman of Substance, 24 Hours in A&E, Married at First Sight Australia, MAFS: After the Dinner
My5: Yorkshire's Poshest Hotel: Grantley Hall, The Hotel Inspector
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EastEnders on TV tonight, Thursday 26th March 2026?
Yes -- EastEnders is on BBC One tonight at 7:30pm. Bea orchestrates a plan, while Cindy finds herself in hot water. Catch up on any recent episodes via BBC iPlayer.
What time is MasterChef: The Professionals final on BBC One?
MasterChef: The Professionals series final is on BBC One tonight at 8pm and runs for two hours until 10pm. The three finalists cook a complete three-course meal for judges Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and Matt Tebbutt, and the 2026 winner is announced at the end.
What channel are the World Cup play-offs on tonight?
Both World Cup play-off semi-finals are live on the BBC tonight. Italy v Northern Ireland is on BBC Three from 7:05pm with kick-off at 7:45pm. Wales v Bosnia-Herzegovina is on BBC Two from 7:30pm with kick-off also at 7:45pm. Welsh viewers can watch the Wales match on S4C or BBC One Wales. Both matches are available on BBC iPlayer.
What time is The Bear on Sky Atlantic tonight?
The Bear has new episodes on Sky Atlantic tonight starting at 9pm and running until approximately 11:10pm with multiple episodes back-to-back.
What time is The Apprentice on BBC One tonight?
The Apprentice is listed on BBC One at 9pm tonight. As MasterChef: The Professionals runs from 8pm until 10pm, regional scheduling may vary -- check BBC iPlayer or your local TV listings if uncertain. The Apprentice: Unfinished Business is on BBC Two at 10pm.
What's the best thing to watch on TV tonight?
MasterChef: The Professionals series final on BBC One at 8pm is the clear standout -- two hours, three finalists, and a winner announced tonight. If you've been watching the series, don't miss it. The World Cup play-off semi-finals on BBC Two and BBC Three (both 7:45pm kick-off) are the big sport story, and The Bear's new episodes on Sky Atlantic at 9pm are essential for those who are following that.
TV Guide UK: Final Verdict
Thursday's tv guide is doing a lot tonight. The MasterChef final is the anchor -- two uninterrupted hours of BBC One that should deliver if the series has been as strong as it looked. That's your 8pm sorted.
If you've got a stake in the World Cup, the two play-offs on BBC Two and BBC Three both kick off at 7:45pm. Wales hosting Bosnia at Cardiff is the one with the most emotional weight attached.
The Bear on Sky Atlantic and A Woman of Substance on Channel 4 are solid options for later in the evening, and The Sense of an Ending on BBC Four at 9:30pm is better than a late-night film slot usually deserves.
Browse the full channels list, check what's on right now, or see the tonight highlights for a summary of the evening.