What’s on TV tonight? The Winter Olympics has arrived, and Saturday belongs to Cortina. This is Day 2 of the 2026 Games, which means one thing: the first gold medals are about to be awarded. The Men’s Downhill – arguably the most dramatic event in alpine skiing – headlines a day of wall-to-wall coverage on BBC One and BBC Two. If you can tear yourself away from the slopes, there’s also The Masked Singer, Casualty, and a new-look Match of the Day.
Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best
- Six Nations: England v Wales – ITV1, 3:45pm – Twickenham grudge match
- Winter Olympics – BBC One/BBC Two, from 5:15pm – Day 2 brings the first gold medals
- Gladiators – BBC One, 5:45pm – Contender Shaun wears his dad’s 1995 tracksuit
- The Great Icelandic Swim – Channel 4, 7:30pm – Ross Edgley attempts 1,000-mile swim
- Waiting for the Out – BBC One, 9:20pm – Series finale of Dennis Kelly’s brilliant drama ⭐
- The Woman King – Channel 4, 9:30pm – Viola Davis commands in 2022 epic
Six Nations Rugby
Italy v Scotland – BBC One, 1pm (k/o 2:10pm)
The Six Nations is brimming with grudge matches and the opening Saturday offers two sparkling examples. Resurgent Italy are gaining traction on the world stage following improved performances and a victory over Australia last autumn. They famously defeated Scotland in the first ever Six Nations match in 2000, and repeated the feat at the Stadio Olimpico in 2024. Can they do it again? Given how Scotland have lurched from the sublime to the ridiculous in recent tournaments, it’s certainly possible.
England v Wales – ITV1, 3:45pm (k/o 4:40pm)
At Twickenham, England welcome Wales. England are undefeated in 11 matches and enter the competition as favourites alongside reigning champions France. Their opponents, meanwhile, are in crisis mode yet again following off-field drama that raised the possibility of a player strike. In contrast to England, the Welsh have won only two of their last 22 matches, both against Japan.
The Big Story: Winter Olympics Day 2
Winter Olympics 2026 – BBC One & BBC Two, from 5:15pm
This is what we’ve been waiting for. The opening ceremony is done, the athletes have marched, and now the serious business begins. Day 2 of the Cortina Games sees the first gold medals of the 2026 Winter Olympics handed out, and BBC coverage runs right through the evening.
The Men’s Downhill is the marquee event. There’s nothing quite like it in sport – athletes hurling themselves down a mountain at 90mph, one mistake from disaster, fighting for hundredths of seconds. It’s utterly compelling viewing, and it’s live on the BBC. The Snowboard Slopestyle finals should produce some spectacular aerial footage, the Figure Skating Team Event brings its usual mix of grace and drama, and Ski Jumping adds that peculiar tension of watching people launch themselves off a ramp and try to land without incident.
Clare Balding presents the main coverage from Cortina on BBC Two from 5:15pm, joined by a presenting team that includes Hazel Irvine, Jeanette Kwakye and former sprinter-turned-bobsledder Montell Douglas. BBC One picks up Olympics coverage from 6pm. If you want absolutely everything, BBC iPlayer’s Olympics Extra stream runs from 8am to 11pm with every sport available.
The Winter Olympics comes around every four years, and when it’s here, it takes over. This is your chance to become an expert in sports you’ll completely forget about by March. Embrace it.
Early Evening (5pm – 8pm)
Gladiators – BBC One, 5:45pm
It’s a family affair in tonight’s high-octane heat. Male contender Shaun, an aerospace apprentice from Lancashire and this year’s youngest contestant at 20, has the contest in his blood – his father Murray was a semi-finalist back in 1995, the halcyon days of Wolf and John Fashanu’s “Awooga!” Shaun arrives wearing his dad’s original tracksuit. In the women’s match, army doctor Ella breaks a Collision record. Bradley and Barney Walsh host.
Michael McIntyre’s Big Show – BBC One, 6:45pm
The ninth series of McIntyre’s Saturday night vehicle continues. The National Television Award-winning format remains unchanged: celebrity phone hijacking, the Remember Me? game (in which guests fail to recognise people they definitely should), and the Unexpected Star segment where an unsuspecting member of the public discovers they’re about to perform for a studio audience. McIntyre’s enthusiasm remains boundless, the celebrity guests remain good sports about having their contacts list raided, and the whole thing trundles along with professional efficiency.
The Wheel – BBC One, 7:30pm
Michael McIntyre hosts the quiz show where celebrities on a rotating wheel provide expertise in their specialist subjects. Contestants need to hope the wheel lands on the right expert for each question – land on the wrong celebrity and their chances of walking away with up to £50,000 diminish considerably. McIntyre brings his usual energy to proceedings, and the format’s inherent unpredictability keeps things interesting.
The Masked Singer – ITV1, 7pm
Series 7 continues with another batch of costumed celebrities warbling their way through pop songs while Joel Dommett’s panel attempts to identify them. Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Maya Jama and Jonathan Ross are the guessers this series. Recent unmaskings have revealed Alex Jones, Professor Green, John Lydon, Marcella Detroit, Kate Nash, Anton Du Beke and Harry Hill lurking beneath the elaborate outfits. Who remains hidden? Only one way to find out.
The Great Icelandic Swim with Ross Edgley – Channel 4, 7:30pm
New series. If you’re not familiar with Ross Edgley, he’s a brawny uber-super-ultra-athlete. He once ran a marathon while towing a Land Rover and did a triathlon carrying a 100lb log. In 2018, he was the first person to swim around the whole of Britain, and now he’s aiming to become the first to swim around Iceland – a 1,000-mile journey in not very hospitable seas. After 10 miles, he gets hypothermia, then seasickness, then his tongue starts to rot from too much salt water. His attitude? “You just have to be naive enough to start and stubborn enough to finish.”
Channel 5’s Saturday Evening
Susan Calman takes us on another tour of Britain’s coastline in Susan Calman’s Coastal Towns at 7:30pm.
Prime Time (8pm onwards)
The 1% Club – ITV1, 8:30pm
Lee Mack returns with the quiz that flatters your intelligence before ruthlessly exposing it. Questions begin at a level 90% of the population can answer and progress to brain-teasers only 1% can solve. The format works because Mack genuinely seems to enjoy contestants’ failures as much as their successes, and there’s a satisfying vindication when you shout the answer at the screen before the players.
Casualty – BBC One, 8:30pm
Tonight, Kim and Matty (Jasmine Bayes and Aron Julius) take part in a simulation scenario that has seen viral encephalitis weaponised – their job being to treat patient zero before the outbreak spreads. Matty is immediately blasé about both the exercise and the wearing of PPE that’s gone beyond its use-by date, but expect that cockiness to crumble when the instructor gets ill for real and suddenly requires emergency treatment.
The Roman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts – Channel 4, 8:30pm
New series. Professor Alice Roberts rides the rails back in time, starting with a blockbuster: Pompeii. So rich a site that it merits any number of visits, and Roberts, aided by stunning drone camerawork, is as curious and articulate a guide as ever. Ad hoc sewerage systems, riots at the circus and a controversial taxation on urine are just some of the intriguing insights into Roman life, but Vesuvius casts a long shadow.
Kate: A Life in 10 Dresses – Channel 5, 8:30pm
The story of the Princess of Wales told through her famous dresses.
Waiting for the Out – BBC One, 9:20pm ⭐
Series finale. Dennis Kelly’s sublime drama – about the brutal indifference of the prison system on one level, and about a man’s struggle to heal the psychological wounds sustained in childhood on another – begins its final episode with Dan (Josh Finan) on a precipice. Just as he reaches a point where he either frees himself from obsessing about his absent father or succumbs to mental collapse, he may or may not be about to go to prison himself. This is Finan’s show and, as Dan arrives at his moment of truth, the young actor finds yet another gear as all the emotion built up over six episodes comes pouring out. Expect to see Waiting for the Out on every “best of 2026” list.
Match of the Day – BBC One, 9:35pm
Premier League highlights arrive in a new era. Following Gary Lineker’s departure, Match of the Day is now presented by Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates. The format remains unchanged – goals, analysis, pundits disagreeing about whether it was a foul – but there’s a different energy with the new team. Early signs suggest they’re making it their own rather than trying to replicate what came before.
Late Night Viewing
Crossing – BBC Four, 9:20pm
Film (2024). Georgian actor Mzia Arabuli stars as Lia, a retired teacher from Batumi who crosses the border to Istanbul searching for her missing niece, Tekla, a trans woman who has gone silent. This delicate, observant drama from director Levan Akin (And Then We Danced) follows Lia’s journey through the streets of Istanbul as she navigates a world of sex workers, activists, and people living on the margins. A gentle, humanist film about family bonds that transcend prejudice.
The Woman King – Channel 4, 9:30pm
Film (2022). Viola Davis gives a commanding performance as Nanisca, leader of the Agojie – the legendary all-female warrior regiment that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century. When a young recruit named Nawi (Thuso Mbedu) joins the ranks, Nanisca must train her warriors to face a threat that could destroy everything they’ve built. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood delivers spectacular battle sequences alongside a story about women refusing to accept the roles history assigned them. Davis earned Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations.
Rick Astley: Reel Stories – BBC Two, 10pm
Rick Astley looks back at his unlikely career with Dermot O’Leary. From making tea for Pete Burns at the Stock Aitken Waterman hit factory to becoming an 80s chart phenomenon with “Never Gonna Give You Up,” Astley’s journey took an even stranger turn when he became an internet meme. Rickrolling – the bait-and-switch prank that redirected unsuspecting web users to his video – turned him into a cultural touchstone for a generation who weren’t born when he first charted. Astley discusses embracing his second act with characteristic good humour.
Dinosaur – BBC Three, 10pm
Ashley Storrie’s comedy returns. Nina (Storrie) anticipates a family reunion at Knutsford Services and the chance to see potential boyfriend Lee. The series, which follows autistic Nina navigating life and relationships, continues to blend observational comedy with genuine emotional stakes. Storrie, herself autistic, brings authenticity and warmth to a character whose view of the world is both hilarious and relatable.
The Viewing Schedule
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00pm | BBC One | Six Nations: Italy v Scotland |
| 3:45pm | ITV1 | Six Nations: England v Wales |
| 5:15pm | BBC Two | Winter Olympics 2026 |
| 5:45pm | BBC One | Gladiators |
| 6:00pm | BBC One | Winter Olympics 2026 |
| 6:45pm | BBC One | Michael McIntyre’s Big Show |
| 7:00pm | ITV1 | The Masked Singer |
| 7:30pm | BBC One | The Wheel |
| 7:30pm | Channel 4 | The Great Icelandic Swim |
| 7:30pm | Channel 5 | Susan Calman’s Coastal Towns |
| 8:30pm | BBC One | Casualty |
| 8:30pm | ITV1 | The 1% Club |
| 8:30pm | Channel 4 | The Roman Empire by Train |
| 8:30pm | Channel 5 | Kate: A Life in 10 Dresses |
| 9:20pm | BBC One | Waiting for the Out (Finale) |
| 9:20pm | BBC Four | Crossing (Film) |
| 9:30pm | Channel 4 | The Woman King (Film) |
| 9:35pm | BBC One | Match of the Day |
| 10:00pm | BBC Two | Rick Astley: Reel Stories |
| 10:00pm | BBC Three | Dinosaur |
What’s On Streaming
BBC iPlayer: Winter Olympics live and catch-up, Olympics Extra (8am-11pm with every sport), Six Nations highlights, Gladiators, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, The Wheel, Casualty, Waiting for the Out, Match of the Day, Rick Astley: Reel Stories, Crossing (BBC Four), Dinosaur (BBC Three)
ITVX: Six Nations: England v Wales, The Masked Singer, The 1% Club
Channel 4 streaming: The Great Icelandic Swim, The Roman Empire by Train, The Woman King
My5: Susan Calman’s Coastal Towns, Kate: A Life in 10 Dresses
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is the Winter Olympics on TV tonight?
Winter Olympics coverage runs throughout the day. BBC Two has extended coverage from 5:15pm to 10pm with Clare Balding presenting from Cortina. BBC One has Olympics coverage from 6pm. BBC iPlayer’s Olympics Extra streams every sport from 8am to 11pm.
What’s the best thing to watch on TV tonight?
The Winter Olympics is unmissable tonight – it’s Day 2 and the first gold medals of the Games are being awarded. The Men’s Downhill is always one of the most thrilling events, and BBC Two has comprehensive coverage from 5:15pm.
Is EastEnders on TV tonight?
No, EastEnders is not on tonight. The soap airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One. You can catch up on recent episodes via BBC iPlayer.
What time is The Masked Singer on tonight?
The Masked Singer Series 7 is on ITV1 at 7pm tonight (Saturday 7th February 2026) with Joel Dommett hosting.
What time is Match of the Day on tonight?
Match of the Day is on BBC One at 9:35pm tonight, now presented by Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates.
Final Verdict
A Saturday packed with sport, drama, and documentary excellence. The Six Nations kicks off with two grudge matches – Italy v Scotland and England v Wales – before the Winter Olympics takes over, with Day 2 bringing the first gold medals from Cortina. Gladiators provides teatime thrills before Michael McIntyre’s double bill on BBC One. The unmissable highlight is Waiting for the Out, Dennis Kelly’s extraordinary prison drama reaching its powerful conclusion with Josh Finan delivering career-best work. Late-night film lovers have a choice between the Georgian-Turkish drama Crossing on BBC Four and Viola Davis commanding the screen in The Woman King on Channel 4. For something lighter, Rick Astley: Reel Stories offers a charming look back at one of pop’s most unlikely survivors.
Related: [Friday 6 February 2026 TV Guide](/whats-on-tv-tonight-friday-6-february-2026/) | [Saturday TV Guide](/whats-on-tv-tonight-saturday/) | [Sunday TV Guide](/whats-on-tv-tonight-sunday/)
