TV Guide UK Tonight: Mon 29 Jun 2026 – Wimbledon Day 1, Riptide & World Cup Round of 32

Published: 27 June 2026

Monday 29 June 2026. Wimbledon Day 1 is here — the 139th Championships open across BBC One and BBC Two for most of the day. ITV1 carries two World Cup Round of 32 knockout ties, with kick-offs at 6pm and 9:30pm. Riptide arrives on Channel 5 at 9pm as the week’s most promising new drama. And EastEnders shifts to BBC Two at 7:30pm while BBC One stays court-side.

Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best

• ⭐ Wimbledon 2026 – Day 1 BBC One/Two, all day. The Championships begin — first-round action across every court.
• Riptide Channel 5, 9pm. New four-part thriller. Jo Joyner’s newlywed discovers her husband has vanished. Gripping start.
• FIFA World Cup Round of 32 ITV1, 5:15pm (k/o 6pm) & 8:35pm (k/o 9:30pm). Two knockout ties. Lose and you’re out.
• The Gunpowder Plot: Lucy Worsley Investigates BBC Two, 9pm. New series. The men and their motives.
• 24 Hours in A&E Channel 4, 9pm. New series. Three patients, one relentless shift.
• EastEnders BBC Two, 7:30pm. Different channel tonight — moved from BBC One for Wimbledon.

Sport

Wimbledon 2026 – BBC One & BBC Two, all day ⭐

Day 1 of the 139th Championships. The All England Club opens its gates for a fortnight of grass-court tennis, with BBC Two carrying play from 10:30am and BBC One taking it on from 2pm. First-round matches begin across all courts, and the opening day can produce upsets that the later rounds rarely match for sheer chaos — the outer courts throw up more surprises than Centre Court usually lets through. Free on BBC One, BBC Two, and BBC iPlayer.

FIFA World Cup 2026: Round of 32 – ITV1, 5:15pm (k/o 6pm) & 8:35pm (k/o 9:30pm)

Two more knockout ties tonight. The first comes from Houston with ITV coverage from 5:15pm and kick-off at 6pm; the second switches to Boston, with coverage from 8:35pm and kick-off at 9:30pm. Both are single-elimination — lose tonight and the tournament is over. Free on ITV1 and ITVX.

Early Evening

Villages by the Sea – BBC Two, 7pm

Series two reaches Bamburgh in Northumberland — castle, coast, and a remarkable amount of packed history. Archaeologist Ben Robinson is on hand to work through it. A gentle half-hour before the evening gets moving. BBC iPlayer.

EastEnders – BBC Two, 7:30pm

Not BBC One tonight — EastEnders moves to BBC Two at 7:30pm this week as the channel makes way for Wimbledon. Tonight (S2026E102): the Fox-Trueman family closes ranks under fresh pressure; Priya starts asking harder questions about what Max is actually up to; and Will makes an effort to get Billy out of a difficult spot. Also on BBC iPlayer from 6am.

Motorway Cops: Catching Britain’s Speeders – Channel 5, 7pm

Series seven, episode 12. Dashcams, pursuits, and roadside exchanges. The format knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to be anything else. My5.

Prime Time

Sort Your Life Out with Stacey Solomon – BBC Two, 8pm

Series five, episode two. A family home in need of a clear-out, with a mermaid bedroom at the centre of the challenge. Stacey’s approach works because she takes the clutter seriously rather than treating it as a punchline — the emotional weight behind the mess is what this show handles better than most. BBC iPlayer.

Dover 24/7: Britain’s Busiest Port – Channel 4, 8pm (NEW SERIES)

Series two, episode two. Tonight’s hour runs a police pursuit alongside a Border Force bust on cigarettes being smuggled through. The port’s sheer scale means there’s always something happening on multiple fronts at once, which is what keeps the format working. Channel 4 streaming.

Police Interceptors – Channel 5, 8pm (NEW EPISODE)

Series 25, episode 12. The big one tonight is a cannabis farm bust. You know the rhythm by now if you watch it. My5.

The Gunpowder Plot: Lucy Worsley Investigates – BBC Two, 9pm (NEW SERIES)

Series two, episode two. Worsley shifts focus onto the men who planned the 1605 attack — not just what they did, but the combination of faith, frustration, and circumstance that brought them together. She’s good at finding the parts of a familiar story that most accounts skip past. BBC iPlayer.

24 Hours in A&E – Channel 4, 9pm (NEW SERIES)

Series 36, episode three. Three patients this week: Philip, a decorator who fell twelve feet; Liam, off a motorbike; and three-year-old Jonah. Thirty-six series in and the show still knows when to get out of the way and let the people do the talking. Channel 4 streaming.

Riptide – Channel 5, 9pm (NEW SERIES)

Episode one of four. Jo Joyner plays Alison, a newlywed whose husband Sean disappears while surfing on what should have been the tail end of a perfect start to married life. What I like about the opener is that it doesn’t show its hand too early — you’re left guessing whether Sean drowned or did a runner, and Joyner sells the doubt. Easily the new drama I’d back this week. My5.

Late Night

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing – BBC Two, 10pm

Series four, episode three. Bob and Paul head to the Lake District this week. The fishing is almost beside the point — it’s two old friends talking, and the show has never been in a hurry about anything. BBC iPlayer.

Aces of Tennis: The ATP No.1 Club – Channel 5, 10pm (NEW SERIES)

Series one opens with the men who held the top ATP ranking through the 1970s and 80s. Good archive footage and a well-assembled first episode — approachable whether or not you lived through that era. My5.

Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie – BBC One, 10:40pm

The 2014 film, with Agnes Brown’s Dublin market stall under threat. This is the post-watershed cut — stronger language than the TV series. If you’re already a fan, you’ll be comfortable. BBC iPlayer.

Also worth knowing: BBC Four runs a David Hockney Night from 9pm — profiles of the artist followed by the 2014 documentary Hockney, if you’d rather spend the late evening with art than sport.

The Viewing Schedule

What’s On Streaming

• BBC iPlayer: Wimbledon 2026, EastEnders, Villages by the Sea, Sort Your Life Out with Stacey Solomon, The Gunpowder Plot: Lucy Worsley Investigates, Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie
• ITVX: FIFA World Cup Round of 32 (both matches)
• Channel 4 streaming: Dover 24/7: Britain’s Busiest Port, 24 Hours in A&E, 999: On the Front Line
• My5: Motorway Cops, Police Interceptors, Riptide, Aces of Tennis: The ATP No.1 Club

Frequently Asked Questions

Is EastEnders on Monday 29 June 2026?

Yes. EastEnders moves to BBC Two at 7:30pm tonight — shifted from its usual BBC One slot to make way for Wimbledon. Tonight is S2026E102: the Fox-Truemans face fresh pressure and close ranks; Priya questions what Max is really up to; and Will steps in to help Billy. The episode is also on BBC iPlayer from 6am.

What time does Wimbledon start on TV today?

BBC Two carries Day 1 of the 2026 Championships from 10:30am, with BBC One picking up coverage from 2pm. It is the first day of the 139th Championships — first-round matches run across all courts. Free on BBC One, BBC Two, and BBC iPlayer.

What is Riptide on Channel 5?

Riptide is a new four-part thriller starting tonight on Channel 5 at 9pm. Jo Joyner plays Alison, a newlywed whose husband Sean vanishes during a surfing trip on what was supposed to be the perfect post-wedding break. Episode one of four airs tonight. Available on My5 after broadcast.

What time is the World Cup on ITV1 tonight?

Two Round of 32 matches: coverage for the first from 5:15pm with kick-off at 6pm from Houston; coverage for the second from 8:35pm with kick-off at 9:30pm from Boston. Both free on ITV1 and ITVX.

What’s the best thing to watch on TV tonight (Monday 29 June 2026)?

Wimbledon Day 1 on BBC One and BBC Two is the event of the day — first-round action across all courts. For drama, Riptide starts on Channel 5 at 9pm and is the strongest new series of the week. The World Cup Round of 32 brings two live knockout ties on ITV1. EastEnders is on BBC Two at 7:30pm rather than its usual BBC One slot.

Final Verdict

Tonight belongs to Wimbledon — Day 1 of the Championships on BBC One and BBC Two, with first-round matches running most of the day. Riptide on Channel 5 at 9pm is the new drama of note, and the World Cup Round of 32 gives ITV1 two live knockout ties. Remember: EastEnders is on BBC Two at 7:30pm this week, not BBC One.

Related: What’s On TV Tonight Monday | What’s On TV Tonight Sun 28 Jun 2026 | What’s On TV Tonight Tues 30 Jun 2026