TV Guide UK Tonight: Fri 8 May 2026 – Attenborough at 100, Whitney Houston Night & Have I Got News for You

Updated: 4 May 2026

Friday 8 May 2026. Sir David Attenborough turns 100 today, and the BBC responds with a live Royal Albert Hall concert on BBC One at 8:30pm. Kirsty Young hosts, Sigur Rós perform, the BBC Concert Orchestra plays. Whitney Houston Night on BBC Four from 9:05pm. Have I Got News for You on BBC Two at 9pm with Steph McGovern, Jon Richardson and Dame Sheila Hancock. Championship play-off semi-final on Sky Sports from 8pm. EastEnders is not on Fridays.

Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best

• David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth ⭐ — BBC One, 8:30pm — Live concert, Royal Albert Hall. His 100th birthday. Sigur Rós, Chris Packham, BBC Concert Orchestra
• Whitney Houston Night — BBC Four, from 9:05pm — Double bill of archive specials. Live in South Africa 1994 follows at 10:05pm
• Have I Got News for You — BBC Two, 9pm — Steph McGovern hosts. Jon Richardson and Dame Sheila Hancock on the teams
• First Dates — Channel 4, 10pm — Fred Sirieix brings his parents for lunch. Jordan and his mum Kelly on a double date
• Bradley & Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad — ITV1, 7:30pm — Sheep shearing, a Tyrolean traverse, and a disco recovery

Early Evening

Bradley & Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad – ITV1, 7:30pm

Barney’s itinerary for Australia’s east coast features sheep shearing (Bradley is surprisingly competent) and a Tyrolean traverse between two mist-shrouded peaks in the Blue Mountains, which Bradley is considerably less keen on. Recovery involves a cuppa and the disco hit Instant Replay. Catch up via ITVX.

Gardeners’ World – BBC Two, 7:30pm

Rachel de Thame and Joe Swift are at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival in Worcestershire, with Chelsea just a fortnight away. Tonight also celebrates the hosta’s transformation of a Devon/Somerset woodland, and one designer’s pressed-flower obsession. Not in Wales. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

Question Time – BBC One, 7:30pm

Fiona Bruce hosts with Thursday’s local election results on the table — timing that gives the panel an unusually sharp set of targets. Available via BBC iPlayer. (Airs at 11pm in Wales.)

Prime Time

David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth ⭐ – BBC One, 8:30pm

David Attenborough is 100 years old today. Not approximately, not symbolically, actually today. The BBC’s response is a live event from the Royal Albert Hall, which is about right.

Kirsty Young hosts. The BBC Concert Orchestra (conducted by Jérôme Kuhn) performs music from Planet Earth, Blue Planet and The Green Planet, with tributes from Chris Packham, Liz Bonnin and Steve Backshall. Sigur Rós perform. Paraguayan harpist Francisco Yglesia plays a piece from Zoo Quest, Attenborough’s first series, dating back to 1954. The programme revisits the racing iguanas from Planet Earth II and the Rwandan gorillas. Unmissable. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

The Neighbourhood – ITV1, 9pm

Graham Norton’s reality series continues. One household tries to curry favour with a luxury hamper while others are on Neighbourhood Watch duty. The small provocations are escalating. Catch up via ITVX.

Have I Got News for You – BBC Two, 9pm

Steph McGovern hosts with Jon Richardson and Dame Sheila Hancock on the teams. Local election results mean the panel won’t be short of targets this week. 9:50pm in Wales. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

Whitney Houston Night – BBC Four, from 9:05pm

A BBC Four double bill of Whitney Houston archive material. The first special draws on her BBC television appearances — the tracks from the first two albums, where her voice sounds most purely itself, are the highlight. Live in South Africa 1994 follows at 10:05pm: a stadium concert ranging from How Will I Know’s party energy to Greatest Love of All’s full emotional swell. The venue swallows some punch, but her voice cuts through regardless. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

Late Night

First Dates – Channel 4, 10pm

Fred Sirieix brings his own parents to the restaurant — his father’s moustache is magnificent. Jordan is on a double date with his mum Kelly; Jordan gets on well with Aimee, but Kelly’s date reacts when she reveals her profession. Ukrainian single mother Kateryna meets gentlemanly Peter. “Budmo!” Catch up via C4 streaming.

Shadow in the Cloud – BBC Two, 12:15am

Chloë Grace Moretz as a WAAF officer boarding a Pacific bomber flight in this inventive 2020 B-movie. Something deeply unwelcome emerges mid-air. Rated 15. Three stars. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

Sport

Football: Championship Play-Off Semi-Final – Sky Sports Main Event, k/o 8pm

First leg of the Championship play-off semi-final. Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football from 7pm. Subscription or NOW Sports pass required.

Tennis: Italian Open – Sky Sports, from 10am

Day 4 at Foro Italico, Rome — WTA and ATP clay-court action. Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Tennis. Subscription required.

Cycling: Giro d’Italia – TNT Sports 3, from 11am

Stage 1 of the 2026 Giro d’Italia: 156km from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria. TNT Sports 3 from 11am. Subscription required.

The Viewing Schedule

What’s On Streaming

BBC iPlayer: Attenborough at 100, Question Time, Have I Got News for You, Whitney Houston Night, Gardeners’ World, Shadow in the Cloud
ITVX: Breaking Dad, The Neighbourhood
Channel 4 streaming: First Dates
Sky Sports / NOW Sports: Championship play-off, Italian Open
TNT Sports: Giro d’Italia stage 1

Frequently Asked Questions

Is EastEnders on tonight (Friday 8 May 2026)?

No. EastEnders runs Monday to Thursday on BBC One. It returns Monday 11 May at 7:30pm. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

What time is David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth on BBC One?

BBC One at 8:30pm tonight (Friday 8 May 2026) — a live Royal Albert Hall concert on his actual 100th birthday. Kirsty Young hosts, with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Sigur Rós and tributes from Chris Packham, Liz Bonnin and Steve Backshall. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

What time is Whitney Houston Night on BBC Four tonight?

Whitney Houston Night starts on BBC Four at 9:05pm (Friday 8 May 2026) with a BBC archive compilation. Live in South Africa 1994 follows at 10:05pm. Both on BBC iPlayer.

What time is Have I Got News for You on tonight?

BBC Two at 9pm (Friday 8 May 2026). Steph McGovern hosts with Jon Richardson and Dame Sheila Hancock. 9:50pm in Wales. Catch up via BBC iPlayer.

What’s the best thing to watch on TV tonight (Friday 8 May 2026)?

David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth (BBC One, 8:30pm) — live Royal Albert Hall concert on his 100th birthday. No competition. Whitney Houston Night (BBC Four, 9:05pm) is the late-evening pick. Have I Got News for You (BBC Two, 9pm) with Steph McGovern and Dame Sheila Hancock for comedy. Championship play-off football on Sky Sports at 8pm.

Final Verdict

David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth earns the star with no competition. A live Royal Albert Hall concert on the day Britain’s greatest broadcaster turns 100, with Sigur Rós, the BBC Concert Orchestra, Chris Packham and Liz Bonnin. Once-in-a-century event. Clear the diary.

Whitney Houston Night on BBC Four from 9:05pm is the late-night pick. Have I Got News for You at 9pm on BBC Two with Steph McGovern hosting and Dame Sheila Hancock on the panel takes the comedy slot.

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